All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Theres nothing Id rather do with my time than be supportive of the Carolina Panthers.. We all felt his love, all felt his commitment, Greene said of Richardson. Still, Richardson often began his days at that point, at age 51, by showing up unannounced at one of the Hardees in Spartanburg, and either making biscuits, pouring coffee or taking orders at the drive-thru. Richardson had heart problems at some point during his life. By then, Richardson had become a generally popular owner with his players and was doing the Panthers job full-time, having left the day-to-day restaurant business in 1995. 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 late 1950s, Rosalind Sallenger Richardson studied at Winthrop University. 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. Jansen Panettieres cause of death revealed by Hayden Panettiere and his family. Richardson teamed with quarterback and future business partner Charlie Bradshaw to become one of the top passing tandems among small colleges. Jerry Richardson, Panthers founder and NFL power broker, dies at 86 Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. Head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer plan on speaking with the veteran quarterback again next week after Tuesday's meeting in Indianapolis. Jerry Richardsons contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic. Here you will get Jerry Richardson's net worth, weight, height net worth, girlfriend, educational qualification and complete bio. He ultimately became a millionaire and used that money to purchase the Panthers for $206 million. You'll now receive the top Panthers Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. The team also became embedded in the sports culture of the Carolinas, producing stars like Cam Newton, Steve Smith and Luke Kuechly and routinely selling out 73,000-seat Bank of America Stadium. Richardsons legacy was forever changed when Sports Illustrated magazine published an investigative report just minutes before kickoff on a Sunday the Panthers were hosting the Green Bay Packers Dec. 17, 2017. Jerry Richardson entered Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, after completing high school in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Richardson never addressed the allegations against him publicly. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The Dallas Cowboys will place the franchise tag on running back Tony Pollard if the two sides cannot reach a long-term deal before March 7's deadline, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, per sources. He fired a number of Richardson-era employees after his purchase and also quickly changed the 50-yard line symbol to the Panthers logo. Richardson survived a series of serious health-related issues in his later years. It was also reported he used a racial slur directed toward a team scout. 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. Jerry Richardson, former Baltimore Colts wide receiver who founded and 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. Richardson, after numerous accusations of workplace misconduct, sold the Panthers to Tepper back in 2018. The NFL expansion process was painstaking. We wish them much peace and comfort.. It was also reported he used a racial slur directed toward a team scout. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Please keep the Richardson family in your prayers today! "The Carolina Panthers are a testament to his extraordinary and tireless dedication to the community.But his league-first attitude as seen through his leadership of numerous NFL committees, including the Stadium Committee and Management Council Executive Committee, 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 is survived by his wife, Rosalind, son Mark and daughter Ashley Richardson Allen. The team said that moving the statue is in the interest of public safety. It has never returned. No cause was given for Richardson's death. 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 made millions in the business world in the food business, but it was football that made him happy. The team reached the Super Bowl in the 2003 and 2015 seasons, but lost both times. He also had a policy where fans weren't allowed to remove their shirts during games. Funeral services will be private. Richardson then accompanied the Olsens to Boston for a medical consultation. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Carolina Panthers founder Jerry Richardson died Wednesday night at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. He would still make his rounds on his golf cart before many home games, however, greeting fans, players and coaches and shaking their hands. We wish them much peace and comfort.". Richardsons mother, Mary, told The Observer in 1993 that her son was born after 17 hours of labor during a thunderstorm. Inaugural Keep Pounding High School Classic features Northwestern High School and Providence Day School. Who helped themselves and who took a misstep on the second day of workouts at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine? 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. It was a miracle. Delhomme recalls getting a phone call from Richardson a couple of days after he had a disastrous four-turnover performance in a 33-13 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs in the 2008 season. The financing plan got an enormous boost, however, due to the permanent-seat license (PSL) concept created by public relations guru Muhleman (who had also helped birth the Hornets). He was 86. The Panthers defeated the Buccaneers 21-14. Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera, who led Carolina to the Super Bowl in 2015, sent his condolences on Twitter. And during Richardson's tenure as owner he always made sure the NFL logo instead of his team's was at midfield of Bank of America Stadium. The Richardsons are both lifelong residents of North Carolina. I was told I couldn't get my company on the New York Stock Exchange before I was 40. He was a married man. I dont know whether youd call it stubbornness or not, Richardson later told the Observer. CHARLOTTE Jerry Richardson, the founder of the Carolina Panthers, passed away Wednesday night at age 86. A new home for Michael Thomas? Carolina Panthers founder Jerry Richardson dies at 86 A family spokesman said Thursday that Richardson died peacefully last night at his Charlotte home.. He used his championship bonus money to open the first Hardees in Spartanburg, South Carolina close to where he had attended Wofford College. Jerry Richardson Wife: Who Is Rosalind Sallenger Richardson? Richardson was born in his familys home in Spring Hope, in the eastern part of North Carolina, on July 18, 1936. He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful. A bypass surgery in 2002 was just the beginning, and after years of treatments and other procedures, he received a heart transplant on Feb. 2, 2009, at Carolinas Medical Center. He was later released. "The odds against us were huge. The Richardsonslived in North Carolina their entire lives. 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 NFL's most influential owners until a scandal forced him to sell the team, has died. Richardson was hospitalized in the year 2008 in Carolinas Medical Center. 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. He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful. With an emphasis on need-based monetary scholarships and opportunities for Wofford students, this contribution is intended for the colleges endowment. Entering the last preseason game before final cuts, Richardson and Michigan States John Lewis were battling for the final receiver spot. Quarterback Jake Delhomme, who led the Panthers to their first Super Bowl in the 2003 season, recalls getting a phone call from Richardson a couple of days after enduring he endured a disastrous four-turnover performance in a 33-13 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the 2008 playoffs. Former Carolina Panthers owner, Wofford grad Jerry Richardson dies By then, the Panthers were playing their ninth NFL season. 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. 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. Richardson served on several high-level owners committees, playing a key role in labor negotiations with the players union. He was 86. Jerry Richardson age, height, weight, net worth 2023, wife, kids, gay Richardson became the first former NFL player to own a team since the Bears George Halas when he landed the expansion Panthers in 1993. (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. Richardson would set several Wofford receiving records on his way to a career that led the school to retire his football number. He also had a policy where fans couldnt remove their shirts during games. The braver players like linebacker Kevin Greene and Delhomme would call him Big Cat. He was Mister Richardson to nearly everyone else in the building at Bank of America Stadium, with many shortening that name to simply Mister when referring to the team owner. That allegiance to the league and his status within it also made him one of the lead voices for owners in the 2010 labor negotiations, in which he famously and sometimes profanely clashed with players across the table including Peyton Manning. 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 never publicly explained the rift with his sons. He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful.. 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. Also Read: Who was Jerry Richardson? He sold the team to Tepper, a hedge fund owner, in May 2018 for a then-NFL record $2.27 billion. It was truly a special experience to play a part in the culmination of his efforts to bring football to the Carolinas. They kept opening more and more Hardees, with Richardson before long a multi-millionaire taking a hands-on approach to the business many times. "As a former player himself, Jerry cared deeply about the welfare of players and the labor agreements he helped negotiate have led to improved pay and benefits for generations of players. "I never thought about not getting a franchise," Richardson said, expressing his trademark confidence. I'd been here for one season and we'd won six games. When Greene was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016, he mentioned Richardson and his deep love for his Panthers players in his speech. They becamethe parents of three children. He attended Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he was a star tight end, and still holds the school's single-game record for receiving yards (241 against Newberry College in 1956). He owned the franchise from its inception in 1995 until 2018 when he sold it to David and Nicole Tepper. He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful. "With the arrival of the Panthers in 1995, he changed the landscape of sports in the region and gave the NFL fans here a team to call their own. The founder and former owner of the Panthers passed away on Wednesday night. Please check your email for a confirmation. He believed in me when no one else did. It was expected at the time one of the boys might inherit the team, but that never happened. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reacts to death of Panthers founder Jerry