Cutler, Ron Turner Have Rocky History

Newly-acquired Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is known for holding a grudge, and he still seems to be holding one against Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner stemming from an old recruiting dispute, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times. Citing people close to Cutler and a Denver Post column, some fences may need to be mended between Cutler and Turner now that they’re going to work together. As a high school senior in southern Indiana, Cutler accepted a scholarship to Illinois where Turner was the head coach at the time. Cutler committed without visiting campus, though, and when he arrived for an official visit Turner reportedly pulled the offer. “When Jay went for his official visit, the coach told him they were rescinding the offer because they had some hot-shot quarterback from California,’' Heritage Hills athletic director Jay Burch told Denver Post columnist Woody Paige. Illinois wound up signing Mike Dlugolecki, who wound up transferring to San Diego State. And Cutler had turned down offers from Purdue, Duke and Maryland to go to Illinois before winding up at Vanderbilt. “It’s not right,” Jake Cutler, Cutler’s father, told ESPN.com. “I still have a bitter taste in my mouth.” In the past, Turner has denied that Illinois rescinded the scholarship offer because Cutler was never made an offer. Obviously, they’ll need to rehearse their lines a bit before the press conference today.