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Tommy DeVito is basically the personification of the state of New Jersey, and he gave plenty of residents an occasion to celebrate by leading the Giants to a win over the Patriots on Sunday. He deployed a certain hand gesture to commemorate a touchdown that was scored during that contest, although he admits he doesn’t even have a name for what has quickly become his signature move.
It’s hard to imagine Tommy DeVito thought he’d see much (if any playing time) prior to the start of his rookie season, but the former third-string quarterback landed the starting role after the New York Giants lost Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor to injuries.
The man who was raised in Cedar Grove and attended high school in Bergen County before playing football at Syracuse had the chance to become a bit of a folk hero in his native state—especially among people with the Italian heritage he and his family boast.
It’s hard to ignore the fact that DeVito’s last name rhymes with a certain descriptor familiar to anyone who watched Jersey Shore, and he’d probably be the first person to admit he’s been shaped by a culture rooted in chicken parm, flashy jewelry (including the custom “TD” chain he complemented with a $26K watch from Jacob & Co), The Sopranos, and the 🤌 that’s become his trademark.
DeVito (and his dad) pulled out that gesture after connecting with Isaiah Hodgins to open up the scoring on Sunday, and after the game, he was left a bit speechless when a reporter asked him how to describe the move he simply described as a “high NGH.”
Tommy DeVito says there is no word for the 🤌 😂 pic.twitter.com/GvuwCRiwTZ
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 26, 2023
He noted there was probably an official word for the emoji that inspired the gesture one member of the press simply described as “The DeVito,” and he was correct in that assumption: it’s officially known as the “pinched fingers.”
With that said, I think most people would agree “The DeVito” has a much nicer ring to it.