Tommy DeVito vows to keep focus to just football during second go-around as Giants starter

It is not the same.“Yeah, I think just the opportunity I had last year to be able to play in games was all the difference it was to now,” Tommy DeVito said.“I have a year under my belt.

I’ve played in preseason games, practice and real games, so it’s a little different this time around.”This time around is the second time around for DeVito, who quite suddenly has vaulted from the No.3 quarterback on the roster to the Giants starter for Sunday’s game with the Buccaneers.

The plug was finally pulled on Daniel Jones, which was not a shocking development.That DeVito was the choice of head coach Brian Daboll, ahead of backup Drew Lock, was not the expected outcome.“I wouldn’t say surprised, I was open for all outcomes,” DeVito said.

“It’s kind of something that I’ve been preparing for since last year.You always say, ‘Stay ready, even though you’re quarterback three.

Stay ready, you never know.’”Just like that, DeVito took the first-team snaps during Wednesday’s practice and held court inside the locker room for a large media throng.DeVito went 3-3 in six consecutive starts last season as an undrafted rookie, filling in after Jones and then Tyrod Taylor were injured.It was a whirlwind few months for the Cedar Grove, N.J., native, a time filled with Italian hand gestures and memes and signings at pizza joints and some moments of good football.

He was a cute story.Now he has seven games to play for the Giants, who are 2-8, and this is a huge opportunity for him to prove he belongs to stay on the roster in 2025.“Last year was a good story and all, it was kind of like how it happened, but all the fun and games outside, it was fun, it was last year, I’m kind of over that,” DeVito said.

“I’m sticking to football now, not that I wasn’t before, but really focused on that, the external stuff will be on pause.I already had talks with everybody around me, my inner circle, it is going to stay very tight and make sure that everyth...