Diabetic Broncos QB says he's back to full strength

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Jay Cutler's blood sugars are down, his spirits are up and his fastball is back.

The Denver Broncos' third-year quarterback said Wednesday during the team's passing camp that he feels like his old, strong self and a new man now that he's got his Type 1 diabetes under control thanks to an insulin pump and a change in his diet.

The former Vanderbilt quarterback lost 35 pounds and some zip on his frozen rope throws last season but didn't heed the warning signs, including constant fatigue, unexplained weight loss, extreme thirst and frequent urination, until team medical personnel noticed a high blood sugar reading in routine tests in March and sent him to a diabetes specialist.

Eight weeks later, "I've got everything back," Cutler said.

The zip on his throws, the strength in his shoulders, his vigor, his cheeriness, his swagger.

"He has all that strength back and you see the ball is coming, it is stronger," wide receiver Glenn Martinez said. "You can see the energy level is higher, too. ... You see a more confident player. People thought he would be down and out and he isn't."

Cutler said he won't wear his $5,000-plus insulin pump during games for fear he would get hit in his abdomen, crushing the contraption and maybe sending an overdose of the hormone into his belly.

"I doubt it's been tested" like that, Cutler said.

Cutler said he hasn't had any trouble adjusting to a less fatty diet as part of his treatment.

He said this camp has been a good test for how he's going to manage his condition during competition, although he won't really get a good feel for how his body responds in extreme heat and exertion until training camp begins in late July.

So far, he hasn't had any high or low blood sugar episodes during drills.

"I feel fine. I feel like I did last year in camp, so I'm doing fine," said the 6-foot-3 quarterback whose weight plummeted from 238 to 203 during the season last year.

"My blood levels are pretty steady right now. Everything's fine. I feel fine at practice. I haven't been too high or low, so it's been a good, dry run. I don't really anticipate any problems coming in the future, though."