Jay Cutler raises money and profile

By James Paton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Photo by Barry Gutierrez

Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, who is all smiles after throwing a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007, is hoping to boost his marketing appeal.

Jay Cutler appeared on the Today show, chatting with Al Roker before the weather forecast, and let the cameras trail him for a segment on the NFL Network.

The Denver Broncos quarterback is practicing his swing for a celebrity golf event at Lake Tahoe in Nevada and will host his own tournament in Parker to raise money.

Cutler, poised to begin his third season in the league, is gradually trying to boost his marketing appeal and to attract funds for a variety of causes, ranging from disadvantaged children to diabetes, his newest concern.

The effort ultimately will depend on how well and how long he leads the Broncos offense on the field and on whether he fulfills all the expectations. Being diabetic is now part of his profile.

"I don't want to hurry things, to get my name everywhere, to get in all kinds of commercials," Cutler said in a recent interview with the Rocky at the team's Dove Valley headquarters. "All those things are going to come. The more success you have as a player, the more opportunities you're going to have, obviously."

The former Vanderbilt University star has worked out constantly during the off-season, watched film and traveled when his schedule allowed, visiting Nashville, Tenn., last month to attend a friend's wedding and a draft party for his alma mater's Chris Williams.

Reaching out to charities

Most important, he has learned he's one of more than 20 million Americans with diabetes. Cutler, who just turned 25, discovered he had Type 1 diabetes after blood tests came back in mid-April.

The winter also has meant reaching out to various charities and increasing his exposure.

"There are a lot of things you can get into," he said. "I've always worked with kids in high school and then in college, and I wanted to continue with that. It was a transition that was easy."

The Jay Cutler Foundation, established late last year, is supporting the Mount Saint Vincent Home, which helps children with emotional and behavioral problems, and Sentinels of Freedom, a group assisting members of the armed forces who are coping with severe injuries.

The Rev. Leon Kelly's Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives program also piqued his attention.

"He's a cool dude," Cutler said. "I don't know how he does it. In that industry there's a lot of turnover and people get burned out. It's such a tough job to see what these kids go through, and he's been doing it for 30 years in the same spot. He's one of a kind."

Cutler also has aligned himself with Dedicated to Diabetes, a Denver-based group devoted to education about the disease.

His foundation, in concert with Western Union, plans a golf tournament June 18 at the Pinery Country Club and another event this fall. Cutler hobnobbed at a wine-tasting night last September and helped raise more than $90,000 for the United Way and a group targeting teen violence.

Cutler, with business manager Marty Garafalo, has proceeded down this road carefully, weighing pitches and associating with only a few names. He has a memorabilia pact with Latitude Sports Marketing and deals with Western Union, RE/MAX and Nike.

His meals at Prime 121 in Cherry Creek have hit the gossip columns, but he doesn't simply go for the food. Cutler has done advertisements for the restaurant and has served as a spokesman.

He said he admires the way Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has built his brand name.

"You don't see him everywhere," said Cutler, who would need to throw a lot more touchdowns to achieve Brady's stature.

Foundations becoming trendy

Numerous professional athletes have started foundations in recent years to help their communities. They also can be good public relations tools at a time when many fans are disgusted by the huge salaries athletes earn.

Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets, John Lynch of the Broncos and the Colorado Rockies are among the local athletes and teams to set up nonprofits.

Greg Johnson, director of the Sports Philanthropy Project, said foundations for celebrity athletes have become "trendy." In many cases, agents urge players to launch nonprofits as part of their marketing campaign, he said.

"Some do it well," he said in a phone interview. "Some don't."

Examining Cutler's organization in the coming months, "you have to ask if what he's doing is an inch deep and a mile wide?" said Johnson, whose Boston-based group aims to improve foundations. "Or is it more substantive? Is he making an impact? Is it sustainable? If not, it's more PR or advertising than philanthropy."

Cutler has bigger priorities as he continues to try to improve his game and adjust to diabetes.

"I don't want to stress myself out, especially early in my career," Cutler said. "Football obviously is most important. If we can squeeze deals in, I'll do it. But I won't take a chance on something crazy. It has to be something reputable that I feel good about."

The 6-foot-3 native of Santa Claus, Ind., said he's looking forward to the season and is excited about the prospect of reinforcements, namely the Broncos' first draft pick, Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady.

"We've got some character guys in here, guys who really love football, really want to compete, really want to win," he said. "In the past couple of years, we've had some guys who might not have loved the game as much as they should have."

After asking a couple of questions about charity in an April interview, NBC's Roker shifted to football. "Talking about giving back and expecting things, I'm sure folks in the Denver area are expecting a Super Bowl berth next year," he said.

Cutler replied: "Every year. Every year."

patonj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2544

On the team

Some of Cutler's corporate partners are Western Union, RE/MAX and Latitude Sports Marketing.

His charities include the Rev. Leon Kelly's Open Door program and Dedicated to Diabetes.