PITTSBURGH -- The player who went by "J Co" in the three seasons he spent with the Pittsburgh Steelers now answers to another nickname.
"I'm Unc down here," Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said with a laugh.
The moniker is short for uncle and it is affirmation that Cotchery may have changed zip codes but not roles when he signed with the Panthers last March.
Cotchery, just as he was last season for the Steelers, is a stabilizing veteran presence in the Panthers locker room as well as a wideout who is still as trusty as a favorite uncle.
The 11th-year veteran has caught eight passes for 78 yards, and he is sure to become one of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton's favorite receivers the more the two play together.
"J Co is still J Co," Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor said. "Still savvy, still finding holes in the zone, still getting open in man [coverage]."
The big question is why Cotchery still isn't doing that with the Steelers after catching a career-high 10 touchdown passes last season.
Cotchery wanted to stay in Pittsburgh and the Steelers wanted him back. But with Carolina desperately in need of wide receivers it offered Cotchery a two-year, $5 million contract, and the deal he signed included a $2.25 million signing bonus, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
"When you're entering free agency you just have to come to terms on deals and I wasn't able to do that [with the Steelers]. That's how it played out," Cotchery said. "I enjoyed working for the Rooney playing for Coach [Mike] Tomlin, catching passes from Ben [Roethlisberger] and just all of the guys there. They treated me like family. I know my wife and I cherish those three years we were there."
Cotchery helped mentor a number of younger wide receivers while he was with the Steelers, including Markus Wheaton last season.
He has embraced the same role with the Panthers, and Carolina used its first-round pick in May in wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.
Cotchery said the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Benjamin is "going to be a great one." He is more than happy to help the former Florida State star achieve greatness at this level.
"I do enjoy seeing and helping guys get better," Cotchery said. "Any questions I can answer for the guys, I enjoy being able to get some answers to guys and see them put it into play and watch them get better. I've found a lot of joy in helping guys develop."