SAN JOSE, Calif. – For the Carolina Panthers organization, it's been a journey that has taken 12 years. For head coach Ron Rivera, it's been a journey of five years.
But for this team, for this specific collection of coaches and players, the journey has been all about this season, a special season that requires one more successful leg to truly be labeled super.
"I know how extremely hard it is to get in this position," said wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who was drafted into the NFL two months after the Panthers previously reached the Super Bowl in 2004.