dragondawg
06-08-2007, 03:20 AM
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
ENGLEWOOD - He eats. Buys shirts. Looks for sneakers, a big chair, whatever. Jay Cutler does all that, just like most folks. Tries to go here and there, just like most folks.
Then most folks notice he's Jay Cutler.
"As far as expectations, the fans' outlook on the football program, the passion out here, it can't be more somewhere else," Cutler said Thursday. "They've been cheering a long time. They've had a lot of success here, they've had one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play here in (John) Elway.
"They know what it's like to have a good quarterback and to cheer for a winner so, yeah, it raises the stakes a little bit. I feel like I understand that."
And a little more than six months after Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said, "I think this kid can handle it," and officially anointed Cutler the starting quarterback in late November, Cutler has tackled another part of the job.
Since his promotion deep into last season, Cutler has gone through the bulk of the team's offseason programs in the hot zone that is being the starting quarterback after the Broncos concluded their May and June team camps Thursday. They won't practice as a team again until July 9-11.
He also has had his first offseason of life in a football-mad city where so much is expected of the starting quarterback and where so much of what Cutler says or does will be seen and heard by so many.
"I've said before I think it's worse than New York in that way," said Broncos assistant head coach/offense Mike Heimer- dinger, who spent a season as the Jets' offensive coordinator.
"Sometimes it looks like he's got a lot of people pushing and pulling him a lot of directions," said Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler, who has been Cutler's roommate. "He's obviously going to have to get used to that. I think he's pretty good at being his own person and taking the Elway comparisons and filing them away while trying to do what he believes is right."
As far as football goes, Cutler felt he understood where the learning curve would be before he arrived in Denver, that coaches would coach, the video would roll and he could study and study some more to get across those professional hurdles.
But away from the field, where the attention and scrutiny often can wear on a fledgling professional passer as much as any defense, Cutler said he has tried to surround himself with people who could help him.
"Denver's a crazy town," Cutler said. "Having all the expectations, a high-profile thing like the Denver Broncos, it can make things difficult in a sense, getting around town.
"But it comes with the job. Autographs, pictures, being friendly to everyone who comes up. You just try to do that the best you can.
"I knew what it would be, the fans are die-hard, passionate. And any time you come into a situation like that first draft pick, they're going to pay you lots of money and you're going to take over a veteran team and be one of the leaders and lead the offense, it's going to be difficult."
To that end, Cutler said he has surrounded himself with what he calls a "good support group" of family members, longtime friends and business associates.
He also has tried to understand he won't be able to do all that everyone would like him to do.
Shanahan has said "that's what the job is, and sometimes some people can't handle it. I think he can."
Added Scheffler: "You notice it, and sometimes it might wear on him a little bit, but he handles it how it should be handled. He's a great player. If I were in his shoes, I don't know. It's hard to sit there and break it down if you're not in his shoes, and there have only been a few people here that have been in those shoes, I think.
"A lot of us on the outside of that might have a hard time understanding if that takes a toll or not."
Some of those around Cutler say he has taken the important first step by immersing himself in the part of the equation that drives it all for him - football.
A regular at the team's Dove Valley complex since shortly after the Broncos' 2006 season ended with a 9-7 record and a playoff miss, Cutler has tried to make sure he effectively can run an offense that will feature new additions that include running back Travis Henry and tight end Daniel Graham.
"There are a lot of things that go into being an NFL quarterback and being mature enough to handle it," Cutler said. "Just being able to roll with all the punches, the ups and downs.
"I've got people around me who say no for me and filter some things when it's necessary, but I've got a great group of friends from high school and college, people I'm still in contact with, and they've always been my friends and they always will be. I know you've got to watch yourself sometimes. There is always potential that you get built up so much, you've got to get people around you that always bring you back to who you really are."
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_5576574,00.html
ENGLEWOOD - He eats. Buys shirts. Looks for sneakers, a big chair, whatever. Jay Cutler does all that, just like most folks. Tries to go here and there, just like most folks.
Then most folks notice he's Jay Cutler.
"As far as expectations, the fans' outlook on the football program, the passion out here, it can't be more somewhere else," Cutler said Thursday. "They've been cheering a long time. They've had a lot of success here, they've had one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play here in (John) Elway.
"They know what it's like to have a good quarterback and to cheer for a winner so, yeah, it raises the stakes a little bit. I feel like I understand that."
And a little more than six months after Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said, "I think this kid can handle it," and officially anointed Cutler the starting quarterback in late November, Cutler has tackled another part of the job.
Since his promotion deep into last season, Cutler has gone through the bulk of the team's offseason programs in the hot zone that is being the starting quarterback after the Broncos concluded their May and June team camps Thursday. They won't practice as a team again until July 9-11.
He also has had his first offseason of life in a football-mad city where so much is expected of the starting quarterback and where so much of what Cutler says or does will be seen and heard by so many.
"I've said before I think it's worse than New York in that way," said Broncos assistant head coach/offense Mike Heimer- dinger, who spent a season as the Jets' offensive coordinator.
"Sometimes it looks like he's got a lot of people pushing and pulling him a lot of directions," said Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler, who has been Cutler's roommate. "He's obviously going to have to get used to that. I think he's pretty good at being his own person and taking the Elway comparisons and filing them away while trying to do what he believes is right."
As far as football goes, Cutler felt he understood where the learning curve would be before he arrived in Denver, that coaches would coach, the video would roll and he could study and study some more to get across those professional hurdles.
But away from the field, where the attention and scrutiny often can wear on a fledgling professional passer as much as any defense, Cutler said he has tried to surround himself with people who could help him.
"Denver's a crazy town," Cutler said. "Having all the expectations, a high-profile thing like the Denver Broncos, it can make things difficult in a sense, getting around town.
"But it comes with the job. Autographs, pictures, being friendly to everyone who comes up. You just try to do that the best you can.
"I knew what it would be, the fans are die-hard, passionate. And any time you come into a situation like that first draft pick, they're going to pay you lots of money and you're going to take over a veteran team and be one of the leaders and lead the offense, it's going to be difficult."
To that end, Cutler said he has surrounded himself with what he calls a "good support group" of family members, longtime friends and business associates.
He also has tried to understand he won't be able to do all that everyone would like him to do.
Shanahan has said "that's what the job is, and sometimes some people can't handle it. I think he can."
Added Scheffler: "You notice it, and sometimes it might wear on him a little bit, but he handles it how it should be handled. He's a great player. If I were in his shoes, I don't know. It's hard to sit there and break it down if you're not in his shoes, and there have only been a few people here that have been in those shoes, I think.
"A lot of us on the outside of that might have a hard time understanding if that takes a toll or not."
Some of those around Cutler say he has taken the important first step by immersing himself in the part of the equation that drives it all for him - football.
A regular at the team's Dove Valley complex since shortly after the Broncos' 2006 season ended with a 9-7 record and a playoff miss, Cutler has tried to make sure he effectively can run an offense that will feature new additions that include running back Travis Henry and tight end Daniel Graham.
"There are a lot of things that go into being an NFL quarterback and being mature enough to handle it," Cutler said. "Just being able to roll with all the punches, the ups and downs.
"I've got people around me who say no for me and filter some things when it's necessary, but I've got a great group of friends from high school and college, people I'm still in contact with, and they've always been my friends and they always will be. I know you've got to watch yourself sometimes. There is always potential that you get built up so much, you've got to get people around you that always bring you back to who you really are."
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_5576574,00.html