Montclair's Cobras, Giants' Tyree, and DeVito in 'King Cobra' documentary
The origins of some past and current New York Giants, from Cedar Grove native, Tommy DeVito, to Montclair native, David Tyree, run even deeper than just being from New Jersey and playing college football at Syracuse.
Both Giants Super Bowl XLII hero Tyree, and current Giants Quarterback DeVito, played for the Montclair Cobras Youth Football Program.
"My story starts with Montclair, New Jersey, especially my story in sports. And it started less than a year of me moving from East Orange to Montclair and being a part of this organic social reality of kids my age, being a part of the Cobras," Tyree said.
DeVito explains how changing from Cedar Grove junior football to join the Cobras had an impact on his life and career.
"I went from playing in my town, as I did my whole entire life, and took a chance if you will, to go play for another team, met with new people, and a lot of kids I didn't know. Had a lot of friendships I made there and still have to this day, and it was an awesome experience," DeVito said.
Now, a documentary film will soon be released, about the Cobras' legendary founder, the late, Howard Finney III, titled "King Cobra".
Producer, Jeremy Pholwattana currently lives in Montclair.
Pholwattana wanted to tell a bigger story.
Larry Doby Jr. and Dale Berra, also played for the Cobras while growing up in Montclair. While both went on to play baseball professionally (Doby, Jr in the minors, Berra in MLB), like their Hall of Fame fathers, Larry Doby and Yogi Berra, playing for the Cobras as young boys proved the program was more than about football.
Coach Howard Finney taught his players more than football skills, as he was initially dealing with the racism that plagued Montclair over fifty years ago. And that is why the producers wanted this story told.
Pholwattana tells a story he learned before moving forward with making the film.
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"There was a lot of segregation and racial issues still going on in the late 1960's and 70's. Finney held one of his first practices in 1969. Hundreds of kids came out to the football field, and they all had a great time. They said, all right, tomorrow we're doing signups. Everybody come back tomorrow, Pholwattana said. "And only 16 people showed back up, and it was because none of the white kids from Upper (Montclair) wanted to play with the South (section) kids, black kids. So it was sort of like, are you serious? It was like that? So it was always about football for this guy, he made it work, got kids to sign up."
Tyree adds how Coach Finney made an incredible impact on his life and the entire community all through the game of football.
The film is expected to be released in March 2024. Producer Jeremy Pholwattana, and his company Sound Entertainment, have also partnered with Lucky Charm Films, and they are already promoting the documentary, premiering a trailer of the film, at a November business networking event, hosted by Giants and Jets players, at the Top Golf Swing Suite at 1776 in Morristown, New Jersey.
Sue Vorcheimer, a co-founder of Lucky Charm Films, explains what attracted her to the project, "We love local stories, we love David and Tommy's stories coming through this program."
Kathryn Oram, the other co-founder of Lucky Charm Films, feels more positive stories need to be told, "I think it's really nice to hear stories that are important, and are uplifting, and it's nice to hear good things about adults helping children ... because we just have too many negative things in life right now."
Both Tyree and DeVito are executive producers, and in the film, including a scene at DeVito's Cedar Home, on draft night in April 2023, when DeVito surprisingly went undrafted out of Illinois, but got to choose between several free agent offers, including the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.
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Pholwattana reflects on filming those moments during the draft with DeVito, "it was amazing ... to watch this young man pace, think, be inside emotional ups and downs, and choosing the team that he wanted to go to because there were multiple offers ... ultimately choosing to play for his hometown team."
Moments like this, and historical moments from the past, and the lives Finney impacted through youth football, is why Tyree wanted to be involved in the film.
"I think what's so special about this story and King Cobra ... and what's so special about the talent in Montclair, (is why) the legacy still continues, but the fruit of it, has been so many dynamic stories across races, and that continues to leave a continuing legacy on the sport as well," Tyree said.