David Newton, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Cotchery's focus: Super Bowl, not Steelers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jerricho Cotchery covered his mouth in a somewhat embarrassed attempt to cover his laughter at the tongue-in-cheek suggestion that he is much calmer than former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith.

"Steve was one of my favorite players and still is," Cotchery finally said of Smith, a member of the Baltimore Ravens after being released by Carolina in March. "Just the way he plays, it's relentless. I saw him the other night against Pittsburgh, slapping his head, spit coming everywhere."

Cotchery doesn't spit when he gets excited -- on or off the field. He is so quiet in the locker room and on the field that you hardly notice he's there. When he wants to make a point he doesn't shout it across the room as Smith sometimes did.

These are all things the Panthers (2-0) liked when they signed Cotchery to a two-year, $5 million deal during the offseason. These are things the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) miss about Cotchery as they prepare to face him on Sunday night at Bank of America Stadium.

"I miss everything, from on the field, his football play, his leadership, his awareness, his tenacity, his toughness, off the field having a leader, having a friend around," Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said during a Wednesday conference call.

"He was just such a great teammate and a player, one of the best I’ve ever played with."

Cotchery didn't draw big headlines when Carolina made him the first piece of the puzzle to replace Smith and the team's top four wide receivers from last season. Then 31, he hadn't put up gaudy receiving numbers since he had 71 catches with the New York Jets in 2008.

But the Panthers weren't looking for gaudy. They were looking for a consistent role player that would help develop young receivers such as first-round draft pick Kelvin Benjamin.

Cotchery has been that, and Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin isn't surprised.

"Cotchery is an easy guy to like," he said. "He’s a great teammate. He’ll do anything to help the team win, and he’s extremely low-maintenance. I just can’t say enough good, positive things about Jerricho and what he did for us when he was here."

Cotchery won't ever make the spectacular catches like the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Benjamin has in his first two games. But he has been consistent, catching four passes in each game for a combined 76 yards.

He has been a nice complement to Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen, who leads the team with 14 catches for 155 yards.

And a complement was all the Panthers were looking for.

Cotchery was just looking for a team to wrap up his career. He insists the only team he would have left Pittsburgh for was Carolina, about three hours from where he played college football and met his wife at N.C. State in Raleigh.

There really wasn't much of a choice based on Carolina's offer compared to Pittsburgh's. But Cotchery doesn't feel extra incentive to beat the Steelers because they weren't willing to pay more.

"My incentive is winning the Super Bowl," he said. "They know that over there."

Cotchery has fit in at Carolina from Day 1. Running back De'Angelo Williams nicknamed him "Unc" right away because he "looked like somebody's uncle."

Benjamin accepted Cotchery's guidance immediately.

"He listens," Cotchery said. "It's humbling to have a talented guy like that who can catch the ball and do really good things on the field, and he really listens to your advice. I credit him for that."

Credit the Panthers for signing Cotchery.

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