Tommy Devito has mixed ethnicity, with his mom being half-German and half-Costa Rican. And from his last name, you’ve probably guessed that the QB also has Italian roots.
The 25-year-old QB of the New York Giants, Tommy Devito, grew up in New Jersey. He played one season at the University of Illinois and five years at Syracuse.
Devito was undrafted earlier this year but was later picked up by the Giants as a free agent. The rookie QB caught the media attention earlier this week for saying he still lived with his parents and said the decision was a “no-brainer.”
In his first start, Tommy completed 14 of 27 passes for 86 yards and made two touchdowns, but the Giants fell to a 49-17 loss against the Cowboys.
Tommy Devito Ethnicity And Nationality: The Giants QB’s Roots
The Giants QB Tommy Devito comes from a family with mixed ethnicity. His mom is half-German and half-Costa Rican, and his father is Italian.
Tommy grew up in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, alongside his brother Max Devito. His home is only nine miles away from Giants’ practice facility, making it easier for him to commute.
He played high school ball at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey, and later at a collegiate level at Syracuse and Illinois. The American football player had previously talked briefly about his lineage.
In an interview with 247Sports, Devito said he gets his tan look from his maternal grandmother, who is full-blown Costa Rican. The QB had previously talked about his sweet relationship with his late grandmother, Maria Scheuerer, in many interviews.
Tommy is the oldest of six grandkids of Maria Scheuerer, and during the pandemic, Maria lived with Tommy and his parents. The duo would spend hours completing puzzles.
Maria had been bedridden for a long time before her demise, and Tommy would always help him get out of bed, carry her up, put her in a wheelchair, and wheel her around the house.
Maria passed away two days before Tommy’s debut for Illinois against Wyoming. His family had chosen not to tell Tommy. He respected his family’s decision, but losing his grandmom hurt him the same.
Tommy Devito Football Career So Far
A two-year starter at Don Bosco Prep, Tommy was ranked 136 in the ESPN 300 list and was ranked eighth nationally by ESPN among pocket passers.
In his time with Don Bosco, Tommy threw for 3,800 yards and scored 35 touchdowns. In his senior season alone Tommy made 2005 of those yards. He was named the team MVP and was recognized as a Nike Football Elite 11 finalist.
After high school, Tommy enrolled at Syracuse University, where he was redshirted in 2017. But his freshman season began in 2018. He came off the bench in eight games and was the backup for Eric Dungey.
In his second year, Tommy tied with Ryan Nassib and Donovan McNabb for the most TDs passed by a sophomore in the school’s history with 19. He finished the year with 2,482 total yards and 21 touchdowns.
He started the first four games in his third season before being ruled by a season-ending injury and entered the transfer portal in 2021. Tommy joined the University of Illinois and played one season.
He started all 13 games at QB and was named in All-Big Ten. He ranked 21 in the nation for passing and 23 for graded quarterback. According to PFF, Tommy was only behind CJ Stroud in the Big Ten. T
Tommy made 279-for-369 passing for 2,650 yards and scored 15 TDs. He went undrafted in the 2023 selection but was later signed by the Giants.
