Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler is a National Football League (NFL) quarterback for the Chicago Bears, he also was an All-SEC quarterback at Vanderbilt University. So why is he a hero? What did he do that was heroic? Well, he is one of a few NFL players with diabetes. Most people don't make the NFL, but he did, with diabetes.

Jay playing for the Bears (http://www.gazette.com/sports/tipper-120114-david-gracious.html (Unknown))

On April 29, 1983 Cutler was born in Santa Claus, Indiana, in a section called Christmas Village. Cutler attended Heritage Hills High School where he won the State Championship as a Senior-by catching the winning pass. That led to a scholarship to Vanderbilt, where he was the starting quarterback as a freshman. He rushed for the most yards of any quarterback in the South Eastern Conference (SEC). As a senior, Cutler threw for over 3 thousand yards and had 21 touchdowns. He won SEC offensive player of the year. That opened the door to the NFL where the Denver Broncos took him 11th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft.

In 2008 Jay was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is a disorder in which a person's body can't control sugar levels, untreated it can lead to kidney failure, brain swelling, and even death. No matter where they are people with diabetes have to test their blood sugar every five hours, but during a sporting event diabetics need to test more frequently. If your blood sugar is too high then they have to get a shot of insulin. If it's too low then they need to eat or drink something. I got to see this first hand with one of my baseball teammates, who has diabetes and had to test frequently during games all summer.

Jay Cutler has been very successful even after his diagnosis. Even with the constant testing of his blood sugar, he has been outstanding since being traded to the Bears in 2010. Cutler finished the season with 3,274 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. The Bears also won their division with an 11-5 record. The next year the Cutler got hot and led the bears to a 7-3 record. It was the year until Cutler tore a ligament in his thumb, and was out for the season. It was heartbreaking for Bears fans. He also helped establish the Jay Cutler Foundation that is dedicated to improving the quality of life for underprivileged children and those suffering from diabetes. Jay is successful on and off the field.

Cutler continues to inspire people everywhere this year. The Bears are winning and Cutler is having a good year, but he is also playing with diabetes. That is still something many people do not know. But people with diabetes, like my friend, are inspired to do greater things despite the challenges of diabetes. Through his entire struggle, Cutler is an elite NFL quarterback. He is beating the odds, and the other teams.