Ivory Bryant was teaching an adult Bible study class in Englewood last week when her son called again and again until she became nervous.

She finally excused herself, answered the phone and heard his news. Who would blame her if she looked around Community Baptist Church and considered the power of divine intervention?

New Jersey high school football legend Jabrill Peppers is coming home, traded from the Browns to the Giants as a must-have in the deal that sent superstar Odell Beckham in the other direction.

“It was incredible,” Bryant told NJ Advance Media. “I told my class, ‘My son just got traded to the Giants!’ There was a roaring sound that broke out in the classroom. Everybody was just excited for me that I can get to so many more home games and have my son close.”

The bond between the 23-year-old Peppers and his mother is so tight Giants general manager Dave Gettleman even mentioned it in reviewing the trade. They briefly were reunited this weekend for photos when Peppers reported to the Giants to undergo a team physical.

“It’s still so surreal for me,” Bryant said. “When he was playing Pop Warner football — or even throughout college — you hear that not everyone makes it to the NFL.

“To have my son be one of those who made it, there is an unspeakable joy and pride that I cannot explain, as any parent would feel when their child achieves whatever goal they set for themselves."

Now take those emotions and multiply them by the power of his return to New Jersey, where he became a star athlete off the violence-infested streets of East Orange and a five-star recruit at Paramus Catholic High School. He won NJSIAA high school football sectional titles at MetLife Stadium, his new home field.

“I was in a very competitive league and it brought the best out of me each and every game," Peppers said. “I think that prepared me for the big games at the college level, and even at the NFL level.”

Peppers called the trade “exhilarating.”

“I had so many missed calls from him and his agent that I said, ‘Is everything OK?’” Bryant said. “He’s like, ‘Did you hear? Did you hear? I’m going to the Giants.’ You just heard the excitement in his voice. I’m sure it’s a bittersweet moment, too, because ... we loved being a part of Cleveland.”

Bryant maintained the same Bergen County apartment she lived in with her son even after Peppers was drafted with the No. 25 overall pick by the Browns in 2017. She is her mother’s primary caregiver because her stepfather suffered a stroke last year.

Peppers was raised in a single-parent home because his father — a regular presence in his childhood, especially athletics — went to prison when he was seven years old. Terry Peppers is out of prison and the two are rebuilding a relationship, as Peppers chronicled for The Players’ Tribune.

“We had the NFL television package and my mom and I watched on my tablet at her house," Bryant said. “She was a huge part of his Pop Warner upbringing. She was the team grandma, and she made sure that when I was working he got to practice and did his homework. She went to every game and volunteered with the organization.”

Peppers kept his presence in New Jersey while in Cleveland. Through his partnership with Adidas, he hosted a giveaway of about 1,000 back-to-school backpacks and supplies outside of City Hall in East Orange, and he donated track suits and backpacks to sports teams affiliated with churches.

On the Sundays when Bryant’s church responsibilities conflicted with the NFL schedule, Peppers’ grandmother tuned in to the NFL Red Zone channel for out-of-town highlights. The trade to the Giants means not missing a play on local television — and it means Bryant will be called upon “to cook a good meal whenever he wants one.”

For the Giants, Peppers was the ingredient demanded in the trade along with first- and third-round draft picks. They see Peppers as equivalent to acquiring a second first-round pick, which adds to the pressure already in place by being the exchange for Beckham and the replacement for Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins.

“Jabrill is very bright in terms of his intelligence,” Gettleman said. "In time, Jabrill should be able to make the (play) calls back there.

“He is just excited to be a Giant. It’s the team he grew up cheering for. This kid’s coming home. I don’t think he feels that pressure, and we certainly aren’t going to put that pressure on him.”

Peppers endured fan animosity as mid-career high school transfer and again when he went from Heisman Trophy finalist for the University of Michigan to Ohio State country as a NFL rookie.

A large section of Giants fans won’t care about his past exploits or his Jersey roots but only what he can do to help their favorite team win again.

“I feel as though I haven’t even showed one-third of what I can really do,” Peppers said. "So, I’m anxious just to get there and have a fresh beginning, and immerse myself in the culture and tradition, learn the schemes and be the best player I can be.”

Peppers has two interceptions and a sack in 29 career starts.

“I think he can handle it,” Bryant said. “What I remind him is the only shoes he has to fill are his own. He is not there as a replacement of Odell or anyone. You just come and be the best safety you can be. You don’t worry about the past. You come, you work hard and God will take care of the rest.”

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.