New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito went from undrafted free agent to starting quarterback of one of the most storied franchises in the National Football League.
While DeVito's run as a starting NFL quarterback may have been shortlived, his popularity continues in the form of off-field endeavors that have included marketing opportunities and, more recently, a special "finger pinch" salute (DeVito's touchdown celebration) during the NHL Stadium Series held at MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Giants.
The Jersey-born and raised DeVito, appearing with teammates Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley, attended the Saturday night game between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers.
As a special salute to DeVito, Devils forward Nathan Bastian, who had scored three goals in over 50 games this season, produced two goals in the Devils' 6-3 home victory over the Flyers, celebrating one of his goals by skating around the rink in celebration while doing DeVito's Italian pinch touchdown celebration.
When DeVito rolled out the celebration, he credited the idea to Giants assistant athletic trainer Phil Buzzerio, saying it was a tribute to "the old Italians" who tend to be expressive with their hands when speaking.
Bastian, who hails from Kitchener, Canada, credited his celebration to DeVito, saying after the game that he and forward Chris Tierney, who didn't play in the game, were "cooking up" celebration ideas before the game and that he settled on DeVito's celebration since the Devils were playing in the Giants' home stadium and that DeVito was set to be in attendance.
"I heard Tommy was going to be in the building, so I was excited about it," Bastian said after the game.
"I guess it's kind of funny because normally, guys who score once every 15 games don't plan celebrations. But I had a good feeling.
"We decided on something very Jersey-themed we wanted to be a part of. I just showed up, and everything was ready to go in my stall. So it was easy and a lot of fun for us," he added.
The weekend Stadium series proved to be a good one for the local teams. In addition to the Devils handling the Flyers on Saturday night, the New York Rangers treated spectators to a 6-5 overtime thriller on Sunday to beat the New York Islanders.
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