Then there’s his infamous signature hand gesture, an ode to his heritage, and the fact that his mum cooks for him every night.

Meet Tommy DeVito, the quarterback who has reignited Italian-American pride in the US.

The Danny DeVito connection

First things first: Tommy and the legendary actor may share the same surname, but that’s where their connection stops.

Multiple publications have pointed out that the NFL star and Danny DeVito are not related. According to Country Living though, both are from New Jersey, adding to the surprising similarities between them.

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His record-breaking career

In 2018, DeVito began a football career at Syracuse University and played for them for three seasons. He transferred to the University of Illinois and then, in 2023, the Giants signed him as an undrafted free agent. DeVito was on the bench when two injuries on the team led him to became a record-breaking player and firm fan favourite.

Per Forbes, he is the first undrafted rookie quarterback in NFL history to win three straight starts without an interception. He also has the most rushing yards by an undrafted rookie quarterback in a game, and is the first Giants quarterback to win three straight starts with a rating over 100 and zero INTs since 1970.

His cult following

DeVito’s dominance and flair on the field gained him an instant following, particularly among Italian0-Americans in New Jersey.

Per The New York Times, DeVito has a chicken parm alla vodka named after him at Natoli’s Italian Deli in Secaucus, New Jersey. The deli is just outside the MetLife Stadium, where DeVito grew up. The dish is called the Tommy DeVito hero and, per the publication, the athlete grew up loving his mum’s chicken cutlets. He earned the nickname “Tommy Cutlets” after he wrote the name on a fan’s top during an event.

Forbes, meanwhile, has dubbed him “the Rocky Balboa of the NFL”, referring to the sports film starring Sylvester Stallone.

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He still lives with his parents

DeVito is on a three-year contract for US$2.7 million, per Sporting News, which means he earns around US$44,000 per game. That may sound like a lot, but it’s a pittance in comparison to his teammates. For a kid from New Jersey whose dad is a plumber though, per New York Post, that’s still big money.

But DeVito doesn’t like the flashy life. He told ESPN that he lives at home with his parents, and that “my mum still makes my bed. Everything is handled for me. Honestly, I don’t even know if I could find a place closer to here than where I live”.

About that hand gesture …

DeVito has a signature hand gesture that has been widely mimicked, dissected and written about. The New York Times called it “the hand gesture heard around the world”, describing how fans joined the quarterback by pinching their fingers and waving the backs of their hands toward the field. DeVito has said that the gesture came naturally to him and is widely used by older Italians when they talk.

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DeVito’s agent, Sean Stellato, has also been called “Italian-American through and through”, while he has dubbed DeVito the “Passing Paisano”. Stellato, who has been spotted wearing a fedora, polo neck and pinstriped suit, said the hand gesture means, “Hey, listen to me, ya mamaluke” with mamaluke meaning fool.

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