Shirt, Yigal Azrouel ($285). Guise|Chic, 2128 N. Halsted St., 773-929-6101. Sweater, Rag & Bone ($275). Guise|Chic, SEE ABOVE. Jeans, Ernest Sewn ($225). Guise|Chic, SEE ABOVE. Belt, Gucci ($235). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, 717 N. Michigan Ave., 312-475-9195. Sunglasses, Mosley Tribes ($235). Apartment Number 9, 1804 N. Damen Ave, 773-395-2999. Day-Date II watch, Rolex ($30,200). Razny Jewelers, 1700 Green Bay Rd., Highland Park, 847-432-5300.
	Overcoat, Kiton ($4,195). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, 717 N. Michigan Ave., 312- 475-9195. Sport coat, Oxxford ($3,495). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, SEE ABOVE. Shirt, Zegna ($265). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, SEE ABOVE. Tie, Charvet ($195). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, SEE ABOVE. Pants, Kiton ($795). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, SEE ABOVE. Sunglasses, Mosley Tribes ($235). Apartment Number 9, 1804 N. Damen Ave, 773-395-2999. Belt, Gucci ($235). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, SEE ABOVE. Shoes, Canali ($595). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, SEE ABOVE.
	T-shirt, Gap ($18.50). 555 N. Michigan Ave., 312-494-8580. Day-Date II watch, Rolex ($30,200). Razny Jewelers, 1700 Green Bay Road, Highland Park, 847-432-5300.
	Suit, Brioni ($5,295). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, 717 N. Michigan Ave, 312-475-9195. Shirt, Dolce & Gabbana ($345). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, SEE ABOVE. Tie, Charvet ($195). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, SEE ABOVE. Square, Superba ($45). Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, SEE ABOVE. Rotonde watch, Cartier ($24,375). 630 N. Michigan Ave., 312-266-7440

But in fact, quarterback Jay Cutler is not so different from any other 26-year-old single guy—barring the six-year, $47 million contract he signed in 2006 and his massive right gun, widely considered the most powerful in the NFL. We spent an afternoon in July getting to know Chicago’s most anticipated new resident—and, we must admit, the guy’s got game.

The six-foot-three star quarterback, who looks like a cross between Tom Brady and a Baldwin brother, arrived at our photo shoot with his kid sister/personal assistant, Jenna, by his side. He also brought his business manager, former Harpo president (and Oprah right-hand man), Jeff Jacobs. A native of Santa Claus, Indiana, a town about 75 miles west of Louisville, Kentucky, Cutler is still a small-town guy at heart. He lives near the Bears’ training camp in Lake Forest and keeps his family close at hand, including his parents, Northwest Indiana natives who followed him to Denver and back home again.

While it’s too early to know if his famous arm will bear out this season, it’s obvious that Cutler is laser-focused on his goal: to get the Bears to the playoffs.

Michigan Avenue: Growing up in Indiana, were you a Bears fan?
Jay Cutler: All my relatives were Bears fans so I naturally gravitated that way. It was tough growing up in Southern Indiana because there were a lot of Colts fans. We never watched a Colts game; it was always the Bears.

MA: You were a state champ in high school football. How old were you when you first realized you had athletic ability?
JC: It was my first time playing tackle football, in fourth grade. I wanted to be a running back—we were just throwing around before practice started and I could throw pretty well then. I fought [being made quarterback] for a couple of days but then I was like, I get to touch the ball every play so maybe this isn’t a bad deal after all. Once I got to high school I was throwing a little bit harder than anybody else. Once I got to college I was definitely throwing the ball farther and harder than anybody else. A lot goes into throwing a football— it’s kind of like pitching a baseball; a lot of it’s legs, a lot of it’s your hips, a lot of it’s just the timing of the torque that your body can put on your arms.

MA: So is your arm insured?
JC: I’ve got an overall insurance policy. Before my senior year we got a $2 million insurance policy. I can’t ride a motorcycle, can’t ski—anything that could potentially hurt my career.

MA: Let’s talk about when you were traded; what was going through your mind?
JC: We heard rumors that Chicago was in it early on but they dropped out of the whole race. It was kind of the end of the day, it was five-ish and I was going to work out. I got a phone call from my agent and he said, “Maybe something tomorrow. I’ll call you later tonight if I hear anything.” I was walking into the gym [at Vanderbilt University] and an 847 number called and I didn’t answer it. I was just letting everything go to voicemail at that point. It was Bobby DePaul [the Bears’ senior director of pro personnel]. He left a number and said, “Give me a call back.” Usually the other team doesn’t just call you up like that. I was like, maybe they just want to ask me a question about, my history, something like that, before they make a move. I called back right away and he answered, “You got your bags packed? You’re going to be a Bear now.”

MA: Your sister told me that your parents—who had followed you to Denver—were so excited when they heard the news that she could hear them chanting on the phone, “We’re going home!”
JC: I called my parents up and they had just heard it on the radio and they wanted to know if it was true. I was like, “Yeah, absolutely it’s true!” They threw the phone down and they were yelling and screaming.

MA: There is so much hype about you right now, with people saying you’re the best player to join the team since the ’40s. How does that make you feel?
JC: I haven’t done anything on the field yet. I’m listening to some of the stories that people have told me, some of the radio people telling me that people are calling in and they’re so excited they can’t even talk. I think the fans are excited; everyone on the team is excited. I’m excited.

MA: Have you already started to make friends on the team?
JC: There’s five of us from Vandy, where I went to school: Hunter Hillenmeyer, Chris Williams, Earl Bennett and D.J. Moore. I think that made the transition even easier, having guys that I’ve played with before and I’m really familiar with.

MA: Let’s talk about how you prepare for a game.
JC: We go out two hours before the game and get all the receivers, get all the running backs, anybody that is going to be catching balls and playing a lot in the huddle. It’s not full-speed but it’s a pretty good tempo, because the season’s long. Some guys are nicked up in week four and some guys are good all year long, so we just kind of get a feel for the guys and see what kind of speed they have that day—because the last thing I want to do is go into a game and have a guy that can’t get out of a cut or can’t break to his left.

MA: I’m flattered that you’re giving us your first big interview in town. You haven’t done a lot publicly yet.
JC: Until we get rolling in the season and I establish myself on the field, I’m not going to do a whole lot of stuff. You’re not going to see me in any commercials, any TV shows. You’re not going to see me on every magazine cover.

MA: Except us.…
JC: Except you guys. I’m kind of done now.

MA: I’m sure you’ve seen the Super Bowl Shuffle. Would you ever…?
JC: Never. First year here, absolutely not. Not a chance.

MA: Everyone wants to know: Have you spotted any big talent in the receiving corps?
JC: I think that’s one of the major questions I’ve received since I’ve gotten here: Who are we going to throw the ball to? Can they catch it? Are we going to go get a free agent or make a trade for somebody? And after working with those guys since the beginning of April, I think we’ve got everything we need. Devin [Hester], I think he’s a more than legitimate number one. Then we’ve got Earl Bennett. I played with him in college for a year, so I’m really comfortable with him. We’ve got Rashied Davis, we’ve got Brandon Rideau, we’ve got two of the best tight ends in the NFL in Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark. And Matt Forte—he led the team in catches last year. If we can keep our core guys healthy, we’re going to have a shot at it. If a couple of those guys go down, we’re going to have to find somebody else to fill in.

MA: Speaking of health, last year it must have come as a shock when you were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
JC: I lost 35 pounds the second half of the ’07 season. I usually play at 235 and I played the last game in December at 200. And we talked to the trainers and doctors and a lot of the consensus was, “It’s just stress.” I couldn’t get through the first 10 minutes of a workout. I was getting up eight, nine, 10 times a night to go to the bathroom, my mouth was always dry—just the classic symptoms of diabetes. They make you do blood tests and physicals before they let you go back for workouts, and that’s how we found it. I was relieved. One of the first things they told me was, “You’re going to be able to play and you’re going to be able to do everything you want to do on and off the field.” From that point on it was figuring out what diabetes was and how to treat it.

MA: How does having diabetes affect you?
JC: I have to check my blood—see what levels I’m at—and I give myself four to five shots a day of insulin. If my sugar gets really low or high then I’ll start to get really tired, or I’ll get cold sweats. I’ll get really jittery when my sugar’s low.

MA: You’ve already done some local volunteer work through the Jay Cutler Foundation.
JC: We did a hospital visit at La Rabida, and I teamed up with Eli Lilly. They make the drug I take, Humalog. We’ve gone to different cities and met with children who are diabetic. A lot of these kids are under the age of 10, and they’re just newly diabetic. It’s hard enough growing up, and you add on that they either have to get shots or wear a pump or check their sugar during class and that compounds the situation. Any time they can see someone else who has it, that they can watch on TV and tell their friends I’m also diabetic—I think that helps a lot.

MA: Let’s get personal. When was the last time you had a girlfriend?
JC: College.

MA: The women of Chicago will be glad to know you’re very single. What are you looking for?
JC: Just a down to earth girl. I’ll know her when I meet her. ||MA