Transcript: Quarterback Tommy DeVito

Quarterback Tommy DeVito

Q. How are you feeling after finding out you're remaining the starter?

A: I feel good. The same process throughout it all, kind of the same mindset. I just had to know how it was going to go but my mindset going to stay the same either way.

Q. How did it happen? This morning did (Head Coach Brian Daboll) Dabs call you in? How did that work this morning?

A: It happened – Dabs told me yesterday. He just mentioned to me 'This is what we're doing' and that's it.

Q. Did you have any preconceived notion that it's going to go this way or it's going to go that way?

A: No, I didn't know. Throughout the bye week, they said they're going to have to sit down, make a decision, talk and whenever they have an answer, they'll let me know.

Q. Do you feel you earned it?

A: Yes sir. I think – at the end of the day, it's not my decision. My decision is to just go out and play football so that's what I'm going to try to do every day.

Q. How was the bye week for you? Did you get a lot of calls saying come and do this, do that? I mean, did they try to capitalize on your popularity?

A: They reach out to my agent; they don't really reach out to me. I don't deal with any of that. My bye week is my bye week. Tried to enjoy it, tried to get away for a little bit, and just relax before getting back into it. But I'm sure everybody is at this point. I don't handle any of those logistics outside of football. I'm just worried about being in the building today.

Q. What did you do?

A: I did a signing or an event for the hoagie place in Wayne, and that was good. There were a lot of people out there, that was a really cold day, so I made sure I got everybody whatever they needed because I appreciate everybody coming out and showing support.

Q. What was some of the reaction from your teammates when they found out the news as well?

A: I mean, regular. I don't know. Everyone said congrats but I've kind of been starting the last couple of weeks, so it wasn't anything crazy.

Q. (Quarterback) Tyrod's (Taylor) obviously disappointed. I mean, you can understand that, can't you?

A: Oh 100 percent. That's like my brother now. I mean, been with him for this long. If it would've gone the other way, right? Which I'm sure it could've, I would've been right there supporting him the whole way like he is me. That's the relationship that we've built this far, and he's been in the league a long time. This is my first time being in the league, in a situation like this or however it was but at the end of the day, no players make decisions, it's all up to the coaches so just going to continue to support each other how we always do.

Q. How excited are you to keep this ball rolling? Keep this streak going?

A: Just trying to keep it going one game at a time, one practice at a time. Just trying to get better every day and push everybody around me to be as well.

Q. Did you watch the Packers on Sunday night?

A: Yeah, I watched the first half of it.

Q. Any thoughts on their – were you looking at their defense saying 'I see this', or I see that?

A: Not too crazy. Was watching it as a fan when I was watching it on TV just enjoying it. Just watching football then after, when I'm home doing everything, I can actually watch on the iPad and do all that when I'm back, but I was kind of just enjoying it as a fan.

Q. I'm sure you answered this before I got here, I'm sorry Tyrod was talking at the time. Were you surprised by the decision? How did you take the decision when Dabs told you that you were indeed the starter?

A: I wasn't surprised but at the same time, I didn't know what was going to happen. I was told during the week, the bye week, that there was a decision that was going to be made and as soon as it was made that I would be made aware, and I was. I'm happy about it but at the same time, it's still a job. You still have to go out and perform and do everything. It's not like you're at the top now, which is completely far from but just going to try to go out but just going to go out and try to get better every day and try to earn the respect of my teammates and my coaches and try to do that every play.

Q. How much do you and your teammates have in the back of your mind – or the front of your mind, really, that you're still in this thing? You're not in a great position but you certainly aren't out of it yet.

A: Everything that we want is in front of us but at the same time, we just take it one week at a time and try to focus on this week. If we start looking ahead and we miss one there's nothing going forward. Let's say just one at a time, focused on this week.

Q. How was the decision presented to you? Was it you guys whole as a quarterback room? Did he talk to you guys one-on-one?

A: No, it was one-on-one.

Q. What do you say to Tyrod when you guys know the decision afterward? Do you feel like you have to say anything to him at that point?

A: No, I didn't. I feel like it was – he's been in this situation before, I really haven't but it was like, we don't control the decisions. Nothing that I could've done, he could've done at the time to, I guess change or anything like that. So, just roll with it and try to play my best football.

Q. Was there a conversation?

A: I was just told.

Q. Was it that short of a conversation? Just a few words?

A: It was short. Yeah, it was a short conversation.

Q. Inaudible

A: Yep.

Q. He said he has a conversation every week, and he did. What has that been like? Not only this week but even when you weren't the starter, what were you getting from those conversations? What kind of stuff would you talk about?

A: I mean, it's been great. We talk about a lot of things. Not only what's going on with the team but other teams. We watch a lot of film, good plays, bad plays, we pick each other's brain and I'm learning the way he thinks about certain playing situations, and he learns the way I think, and we've just been trying to build that bridge since I first got here. It's been very beneficial, I think, and we're going to continue to go with it.

Q. I was just wondering how unique, or do you find that unique? The fact that when you were the third string you had that weekly meeting with the head coach to go over these kinds of things.

A: I did at first then he explained to me how, obviously, when you're a one or two – well really, the one getting all the reps, the two really didn't get much, the three, there wasn't too much conversation. There was conversation between me, (Quarterbacks Coach) Shea (Tierney) and (Offensive Coordinator Mike) Kaf(ka) and Dabs but not at that extent. So, Dabs says he likes to take guys and have those conversations with him so I'm getting some kind of rapport with him.

Q. Do you think that's one of the reasons that you're standing here as the starter today? That Dabs too that one-on-one interest with you?

A: I'm not sure. I mean, I know he has some kind of faith and belief in me. I'm going to continue to go out and try to earn that every time on the field but at the end of the day, it's just going out and playing football and executing and winning games.

Q. I'm sure your family knows the decision, but have you had a chance to talk with them yet?

A: No, not really. I knew yesterday, I didn't say anything when I walked in the house either. My dad was like 'How was your day?' I was like 'Good, same old deal' so they didn't talk about it much, but I assume once he announced it and once it got blown out, I'm sure it's more now.

Q. Today doesn't seem like the same old deal.

A: It is the same old deal to me but I'm sure they would probably say that.

Q. How much does it mean to get a start on Monday Night Football in front of the whole country, at home? It's got to be something you may have dreamed about growing up, right?

A: Yeah, it's an awesome opportunity. It's just like any other game except on a Monday night, right? But yeah, it's an awesome opportunity to be the only game on and just enjoy and go play football.

Q. What is it about your personality that allows you to not be surprised? Kind of seemingly take some of these decisions in stride. The idea that you are going to start now. Maybe if someone had told you this a month ago or two months ago, other people wouldn't have believed it, I'm not sure if you would have but just the idea of 'I'm not surprised here, I belong here.

A: Yeah, that's always been my mindset, even when I was a three. It's like your goal is to be the starter one day, even though, like you said, on the outside or anybody else might not have believed that but I've always been pushing to be that. I mean, I was not going to be surprised by it because either way throughout the bye week I was mentally prepared for it to go either way. Like I said, it was a tough decision, but I don't make those decisions so I'm just here to play, execute, and try to win football games.

Q. You've credited Tyrod throughout this process. What's kind of been the most important thing and best advice that he's given you that's allowed you to be in this position?

A: The best advice he's definitely given me is, 'Be yourself, you're more than enough.' I think you can take that 100 different ways, but it's really just don't do too much and don't do anything less, just do exactly what you've done to get here because that's what helped you get here. And that will be enough because sometimes you get stuck in a situation where you're trying to do too much and then you're playing out of character and not playing like yourself. You just can't try too hard to be yourself and I've taken that throughout this whole process. I owe a lot to him. He's helped me a tremendous amount to this point, I'm going to continue to lean on him throughout the whole thing.