Mike Devito can't wait for his first professional start Sunday in Houston.
DeVito, in his third year out of the University of Maine, will fill in for Shaun Ellis, who is serving a one-game suspension for his arrest last year for marijuana possession.
It will be DeVito's first start since college. He had 24 tackles and one sack last season for the Jets as a backup.
"That's been something that's been on my mind this whole camp," DeVito said of the start in Houston. "That's what I practice for. You want to be the best player you can be, and you want these guys to trust you to be ready to go whenever that time comes. I feel great. I've been learning the little parts of Rex Ryan's system and am starting to roll now."
Devito's strong point is rushing the passer, not playing the run, so expect to see healthy doses of Sione Pouha and Howard Green on first and second down. Still, this is an incredible story. I know we were all disappointed about the way the Danny Woodhead situation played out, but Devito's path is similar, small school undrafted free agent who made the cut.