Being an Italian in New York is one thing, being an Italian athlete and playing in New York is a totally different thing. Sprinkling some mozzarella shavings on your grandma’s spaghetti while you wait for the lasagna just hits different. Italian’s are special people and one thing is for sure: they rally around their athletes.
Tommy DeVito is a classic New Jersey Italian, who still lives with his parents and comes home to a warm pasta dinner made by his mom on an almost daily basis.
The past year has given us some great New York Italian stories.
Austin Wells helping Anthony Volpe fix his batting stance while eating chicken parm made by Ms. Volpe is one of the greatest Yankees’ stories of the last decade.
Now Tommy DeVito has his own chicken parm story. Natoli’s Italian Deli in Secaucus, New Jersey, hooked up DeVito with a free chicken parm sandwich two days prior to DeVito’s historic day against Washington.
New York’s 31-19 victory against their NFC rival saw Tommy DeVito complete 18 of 26 passes for 246 yards and didn’t throw an interception. DeVito’s 137.7 QBR was the highest rating by a rookie free agent quarterback with 15+ pass attempts in the common draft era (1967-present).
DeVito is also the first undrafted rookie quarterback to throw 5 touchdown passes in his first two starts in the common draft era. He is the first Giants quarterback since 1950 with at least 5 touchdown passes in his first two starts and the fourth NFL rookie to do so since Minnesota’s Todd Bouman in 2001.
Tommy DeVito’s touchdown hand gesture celebration was more Italian than cannoli’s themselves.
Chicken parm has shaped New York sport outcomes in 2023
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