Playing for the Browns that day was offensive tackle Mike McCormack, whom Richardson would later hire as the Panthers first president. CHARLOTTE, N.C Jerry Richardson, the Carolina Panthers founder and for years one of the NFLs most influential owners until a scandal forced him to sell the team, has died. He was 86. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Tepper has said several times in interviews that the business side of the Panthers organization was in disarray when he bought the team in 2018. Richardson said in 2018 his greatest mission in life was bringing the NFL to the Carolinas. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. The NFL expansion process was painstaking. He began the Carolina Panthers franchise, which he owned from 1995 to 2018. Richardson never addressed the allegations against him publicly. Carruth was imprisoned for 16 years. "I will always be grateful to him for the opportunity to coach the Carolina Panthers & for his patient, steadfast leadership during 7 seasons," Rivera posted. As with other captains of industry, Richardson's name adorns a number of buildings throughout the two states, but few places carry it as proudly as his alma mater. Richardson beat long odds to earn the right to land a franchise. CHARLOTTE, N.C -- Jerry Richardson, the Carolina Panthers founder and for years one of the NFL's most influential owners until a scandal forced him to sell the team, has died. The team said that moving the statue is in the interest of public safety. It has never returned. 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason, Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, amid allegations of sexual and racial workplace misconduct, More than 25 years experience covering NFL, college football and NASCAR. After purchasing the Panthers, Tepper said he was contractually obligated to keep the statue of Richardson, flanked by two panthers, outside of the downtown Charlotte stadium that Richardson built. . When he owned the team, Richardson would often refer back to the lessons learned selling hamburgers. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 53 after a protracted fight with cancer. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Following his heart transplant, Richardson remained active in league business. . Photos of Jerry Richardson throughout his time with the Panthers. ''I'm literally at a loss of words. He used his championship bonus money to open the first Hardee's in Spartanburg, South Carolina close to where he had attended Wofford College. He was 86. He was later released. Early life and college [ edit] Richardson was born in Spring Hope, North Carolina. He gave me a chance when no one else would! After growing up in the Fayetteville area, Richardson went to Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.; where he excelled in football and laid the groundwork for a business empire that would allow him to return to the game he once walked away from. In 2016, Jerry Richardson made donations to establish the Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts on the Wofford College campus in honor of his wife of more than 60 years. Mar 02, 2023 at 01:47 PM. A former teammate of Johnny Unitas who caught a touchdown pass in the Baltimore Colts victory over the New York Giants in the 1959 NFL championship game, Richardson only spent two years in the NFL before venturing into the restaurant business. Jon Richardson died of cancer in 2013. Im 58 years old, and I dont hunt, I dont fish, and I dont play golf. Olsen and his wife Kara later named the child Trent Jerry Olsen after Richardson. A public celebration of his life will be held at a later date. The Richardsons are both lifelong residents of North Carolina. Please keep the Richardson family in your prayers today! The Panthers were impressed with the Alabama quarterback after meeting him this week, and they've acknowledged the possibility of trading up to get in position for him. Richardson was born in Spring Hope, North Carolina, in 1936. Richardson built a food empire from scratch, starting the Hardees hamburger chain with $4,864 in 1961 with playoff bonus money he earned for playing on the Baltimore Colts 1959 NFL championship team. Richardson survived a series of serious health-related issues in his later years. Email Scott at sfowler@charlotteobserver.com or call him at 704-358-5140, Get in-depth, sideline coverage of Charlotte area sports - only $1 a month. Richardson had a unique style of dealing with players, but generally was well-liked by those who played and coached under him. Jerry Richardson, the Carolina Panthers founder and for years one of the NFLs most influential owners until a scandal forced him to sell the team, has died. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. I work, I go home, he said. No cause was given for Richardson's death. The Panthers decided to charge for the right to buy season tickets in their proposed new stadium a radical idea that later helped build many other stadiums around the country. It was also reported he used a racial slur directed toward a team scout. Fitterer and head coach Frank Reich also touched on other needs the team has, and what the priorities are for the coming weeks during their interviews at the combine. Richardson became the first former NFL player to own a team since the Bears George Halas when he landed the expansion Panthers in 1993. Jerry Richardson, Panthers founder and former owner, dies at 86, Jaxon Smith-Njigba wants to re-create connection with Bears QB Justin Fields, NFL Scouting Combine shifts mock draft, but Bears needs unchanged, QBs in NFL Draft in haze as Bears play poker with No. Richardson had a pacemaker/defibrillator inserted in his heart in 2008, and doctors told him he would need a heart transplant. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. All about former Carolina Panthers owners, net worth, statue, scandals and more. That kind of attention to detail was not unlike his days as owner of the Panthers, in which he'd approve particulars of landscaping plans (native plants from each state on the north and south sides of the stadium to represent the two Carolinas) and the paint job on the field. We wish them much peace and comfort.". Jerry Richardson and wife Rosalind Sallenger Richardson established a $500,000 fully endowed scholarship to Winthrop. Richardson was forced to sell the team to Tepper for a then NFL-record $2.275 billion after the 2017 season amid allegations of sexual and racial misconduct in the workplace. Mr. Richardson is a native Carolinian, whose dream was to bring NFL football and the world championship he knew as a player in the . Carolina began play in 1995 and Richardson quickly built the Panthers into one of the league's model franchises, while becoming a powerful figure in the NFL. After he had a heart transplant in Charlotte in 2009, Richardson lived for 14 more years. But when you get to some of them, the word moves fast to the rest of them.. One of our dear friends said, God does not give out hearts lightly, Rosalind Richardson told The Observer two weeks after the surgery. Nicole and I extend our deepest condolences to Rosalind, the entire Richardson family, and their loved ones. Rest up my friend!''. He was my boss. Richardson would set several Wofford receiving records on his way to a career that led the school to retire his football number. He was 86.. Jerry Richardson entered Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, after completing high school in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He went on to make his fortune in the restaurant business, becoming chief executive officer of Flagstar, the sixth-largest food service company in the country at the time. "The odds against us were huge. Richardson had 241 yards receiving in a game against Newberry in 1956, and he was named an Associated Press Little All-American in 57 and 58. Before that, Richardson was revered for bringing the Panthers to the NFL in 1995 and helping the team reach Super Bowls after the 2003 and 2015 seasons. He sold the team to Tepper, a hedge fund owner, in May 2018 for a then-NFL record $2.27 billion. pic.twitter.com/9Cjn0PSYW2. Richardson kept a game ball from the championship game and a pair of Unitas cleats in the basement of his Charlotte home. Jerry Richardson is Businessman, public benefactor, former NFL player from Spring Hope, North Carolina, United States. Jerry Richardson, a former NFL owner, is survived by his wife Rosalind Sallenger Richardson. After a bad first half, Richardson caught several passes in the second half from Johnny Unitas and made the team. But his league-first attitude as seen through his leadership of numerous NFL committees helped pave the way for a series of public-private stadium partnerships throughout the country, and collective bargaining agreements that continue to support the growth of the game. Richardson, who was born July 18, 1936. Richardson ended the 59 regular season with seven receptions and three touchdowns, but saved his most memorable play for the title game against the New York Giants (the Super Bowl did not yet exist). But in June 2020, the Panthers removed the statue, saying they were concerned there may be attempts to take the statue down due to protests and unrest following the death of George Floyd. Jerry Richardson's age is 86 years old as of today's date 15th February 2023 having been born on 18 July 1936. From a personal perspective, he was a wise and caring advisor to me, his fellow owners, and many Panthers players and coaches over the years.". In 2000, wide receiver Rae Carruth, the teams first-round draft pick in 1997, was convicted on a murder conspiracy charge in connection with the drive-by shooting death of his pregnant girlfriend. Former tight end Greg Olsen posted a four-minute video on Twitter, saying when Richardson learned his unborn son had a serious heart defect he insisted on flying his family to Boston Medical Center in his own personal jet so they could receive the best medical advice. Jerry Richardsons contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic," current Panthers owner David Tepper and his wife Nicole said in a statement. In the year 2002, he received the heart trouble and had . After the Panthers clinched the NFC South during their second Super Bowl season in 2015, quarterback Cam Newton got Richardson to dab during a raucous locker-room celebration in New Orleans. While hitchhiking with some Wofford friends at Pawleys Island, S.C., during the summer of 1957, he met a Winthrop student and former Florence High cheerleader named Rosalind Sallenger. Read what head coach Frank Reich said to the media during his press conference at the Combine on Wednesday. But Richardsons reputation took a tremendous hit when he announced he was selling the Panthers on Dec. 17, 2017 the same day Sports Illustrated reported that four former Panthers employees received significant monetary settlements due to inappropriate sexually suggestive language and actions by Richardson. He provided tremendous guidance to me, and to this day, Karen and I consider him and Rosalind true friends. CHARLOTTE, N.C -- Jerry Richardson, the Carolina Panthers founder and for years one of the NFL's most influential owners until a scandal forced him to sell the team, has died. "Condolences to Rosalind, Ashley, & Mark and the Richardson family.''. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He made the greatest gift in Wofford Colleges history in 2021 when he gave $150 million to the institution. The magazines investigation portrayed Richardson as an owner who acted inappropriately with a number of his female employees and also directed a racial slur at an African-American scout employed by the Panthers. Richardson wanted $10,000 for the 61 season; the Colts offered $9,750. In the late 1950s, Rosalind Sallenger Richardson studied at Winthrop University. Funeral services will be private. He visited every owner in the league all 28 of them at least once, Muhleman said, and sought out the brilliant retired NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle at his California home. The team reached the Super Bowl in the 2003 and 2015 seasons, but lost both times. The Panthers began playing in 1995 and Richardson owned them until 2018, when he sold the team under pressure to current owner David Tepper. He was 86. 1 overall in 2011 for fear it would impact his image. 2005 NFC Wild Card Playoff Game - Carolina Panthers vs New York Giants - January 8, 2006 Giants Stadium East Rutherford, New Jersey United States January 8, 2006 Photo by Ralph Waclawicz/WireImage.com, To license this image (6995493), contact WireImage: +1 212-686-8900 (tel) +1 212-686-8901 (fax) info@wireimage.com (e-mail) www.wireimage.com (web site), CHARLOTTE, NC - NOVEMBER 28: Owner Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers looks on before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 13, 2004 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton). "On the NFL's behalf, I extend our sincere condolences to Jerry's wife, Rosalind, and their family.". He used his championship bonus money to open the first Hardees in Spartanburg, South Carolina close to where he had attended Wofford College. Who helped themselves and who took a misstep on the second day of workouts at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine? NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? Mr. Richardson claims that Wofford has had the biggest impact on his achievement in life, with no other influence coming close. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Carolina Panthers founder Jerry Richardson died Wednesday night at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. He began to slow down as he entered his mid-60s, battling heart issues. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? A 1987 Observer story noted that Richardsons Spartan Food Systems restaurant colossus at that point included 2,000 Hardees, Quincys and Dennys restaurants. When I went through my injuries and everyone told him it was time to move on and turn the page he said no. The team called the statue a public safety hazard at the time, citing the nightly social justice marches then occurring in Charlotte. He calls and says, Jake, the sun came out today at my house, did it come out at yours?, Delhomme said Thursday. But his fourth-quarter, 12-yard TD catch from Unitas gave the Colts a 21-9 lead in a game they would win 31-16. An explanation of winter vs nesting robins locally, winter aconite in snow, hiking the Appalachian Trail, and ice shacks being down on Lake Winnebago are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors. The family did not list a cause of death. Jerry Richardson Wife, Children Richardson's marital status was married. Career Richardson stepped into NFL draft in 1959 and got selected in the thirteenth round by the supremacy victors the Baltimore Colts. Richardsons playing career lasted only two seasons when he walked away from the game at 25 following a dispute over $250. He sold the team to Tepper, a hedge fund owner, in May 2018 for a then-NFL record $2.27 billion. He overcame prostate cancer and underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2002. His father was a barber. Richardson was well liked by his players. The team reached the Super Bowl in the 2003 and 2015 seasons, but lost both times. We wish them much peace and comfort.. He and I spent a tremendous amount of time talking about his vision for what the Panthers could do for the Carolinas. While Richardson seldom held press conferences even during the early seasons of the Panthers franchise, his public appearances became far less frequent in his later years. The promise came close to coming true during the 2003 season. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! I will always be grateful to him for the opportunity to coach the Carolina Panthers & for his patient, steadfast leadership during 7 seasons. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton), NFL comissioner Roger Goodell, left, and Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson walk together during a break at an NFL owners meeting in Irving, Texas, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015. I am truly heartbroken and sad over the loss of my friend. Wofford offered Richardson a partial scholarship worth less than $300, and he took it. He also had a policy where fans couldnt remove their shirts during games. Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson watches players warm up before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. The stadium was named "Jerry Richardson Stadium" after his donation of $10 Million. 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If he succeeded, he would become only the second NFL owner ever to both play in the league and own a team the other being George Halas. His other son, Jon, died in 2013 at age 53 after a lengthy battle with cancer. The heart donor has never been identified. "Jerry Richardson's contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic," current Panthers owner David Tepper and his wife Nicole said in a statement. Because of his imposing build and status as a former NFL player, Richardson engendered a level of respect not often accorded to NFL owners. Jerry Richardson, the founding owner of the Carolina Panthers, died Wednesday night at the age of 86, the team announced Thursday in a release on behalf of his family. Because so many events in his life seemed to be marked by football time, the procedure began on Super Bowl Sunday, as the Steelers of his close friends the Rooney family were in the process of beating the Cardinals. Sign up for the Panthers Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. The family did not own a car until Jerry Richardson was 16. Ralph Waclawicz/Call (212) 686-8900 or e-mail info@wireimage.com to license WireImage images. He fired both his sons Mark, the team president, and Jon, the director of stadium operations following a sibling squabble at the stadium in front of other employees while he was recovering from a heart transplant in 2009. He loved the NFL so much that he kept the leagues logo a shield painted on the 50-yard line at Bank of America Stadium, rather than a team logo like nearly every other team in the league. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. It was expected at the time one of the boys might inherit the team, but that never happened.
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