I dont know whether youd call it stubbornness or not, Richardson later told the Observer. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. They played miniature golf in Myrtle Beach on their first date. 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. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. Charlotte had already become a professional sports town with the arrival of the NBA's Hornets in 1988, but those were the days when the city struggled to build an identity as anything other than a regional outpost, still confused with Charleston, S.C. or Charlottesville, Va., and years from becoming a national banking center. 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. Jerry Richardson and his wife donate $5 million to African-American Jerry Richardson Wife: Who Is Rosalind Sallenger Richardson? A 13-foot, 4500-pound statue of Richardson, given to him by his ownership partners in 2016 and placed outside Bank of America Stadium, was removed in June 2020 by the Panthers. He was my boss. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton), Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, left, talks with team owner Jerry Richardson, right, during the NFL team's football training camp in Spartanburg, S.C., on Saturday, July 26, 2008. Ralph Waclawicz/Call (212) 686-8900 or e-mail info@wireimage.com to license WireImage images. Richardson was . 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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. Richardsons mother, Mary, told The Observer in 1993 that her son was born after 17 hours of labor during a thunderstorm. Richardson, a North. His father was a barber. During the year in which Richardson waited for and later recovered from his heart transplants, his two sons led the organization. "Jerry Richardson's contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic," Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper said in a statement. Richardson would set several Wofford receiving records on his way to a career that led the school to retire his football number. Carolina Panthers founder Jerry Richardson died Wednesday night at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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. With the news also came a statement from current owner David Tepper and wife Nicole, who thanked Richardson for what he had done for them and the organization. $2 Billion. Richardson called Archie Manning, Peytons father, to clear the air and believed the situation was overblown. One of our dear friends said, God does not give out hearts lightly, Rosalind Richardson told The Observer two weeks after the surgery. "The NFL community is deeply saddened by the passing of Jerry Richardson," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement Thursday. Given that two of the receivers were established stars and future Hall of Famers Raymond Berry and Lenny Moore, Richardson did not like his chances. "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. 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. NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? Because of his imposing build and status as a former NFL player, Richardson engendered a level of respect not often accorded to NFL owners. 1 overall in 2011 for fear it would impact his image. Mr. Richardson claims that Wofford has had the biggest impact on his achievement in life, with no other influence coming close. View photos of Richardson from the inaugural season in 1995 through decades of coaches and players in the Panthers community. 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. Panthers founder, former owner, Baltimore Colts player Jerry Richardson 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. The entire family lives in Charlotte. Early life and college [ edit] Richardson was born in Spring Hope, North Carolina. The plan to finance the stadium largely with his own money was the part that carried the biggest risk, but Richardson told The Observer in 1987 that would be part of the fun. Sources have told The Observer it will never return to the stadium. They kept opening more and more Hardees, with Richardson before long a multi-millionaire taking a hands-on approach to the business many times. The NFL fined Richardson a league-record $2.75 million after its probe concluded, nearly tripling the amount of its previous record fine of $1 million. Jerry Richardson - Wikipedia The team reached the Super Bowl in the 2003 and 2015 seasons, but lost both times. He believed in me when no one else did. This website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure you get the best experience, including personalised content. No cause was given for Richardson's death. Jerry Richardson, the founder of the American football team Carolina Panthers, has died at the age of 86 He is survived by his wife Rosalind Sallenger Richardson and three children - Ashley, Jon, and Mark Nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild are also included in his family Written By: Alfeeya Mohsin Pathan Jerry Richardson family: Who are wife Rosalind Sallenger Richardson and The team went for a then NFL record $2.275 billion. He was 86. "Jerry Richardson's contributions to professional football in the Carolina's are historic,'' current owners David and Nicole Tepper said in a statement. He calls and says, Jake, the sun came out today at my house, did it come out at yours?, Delhomme told The Associated Press on Thursday. ''I'm literally at a loss of words. 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 . Id call it sticking to your convictions.. It ultimately took eight years from Richardson beginning the effort to the Panthers actually beginning play. 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. Could the Cowboys look at a running back in first round again? It was also reported he used a racial slur directed toward a team scout. But Richardson's 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. 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. That concept was iffy enough that well-known oddsmaker Danny Sheridan gave Charlotte 50-1 odds of getting an NFL team in 1989. The Richardsons are both lifelong residents of North Carolina. Within hours of the report, Richardson announced his decision to sell the team. A year after Carolina was awarded a franchise, in 1994, Richardson spoke to The Observer about what it was like to be an NFL owner. Rosalind Sallenger Richardson 5 Facts about Jerry Richardson's Wife We all felt his love, all felt his commitment, Greene said of Richardson. A native son who was shaped by the region, his personal journey culminated with bringing professional football to the Carolinas, leaving an indelible mark on the area he loved. Richardson took a lower public profile in later years as his gait and speech slowed he went nine years between press conferences at one point. "Jerry Richardson brought NFL football to the Carolinas!'' It has never returned. Following his heart transplant, Richardson remained active in league business. Jon Richardson died of cancer in 2013. We are saddened to hear about the passing of former owner Jerry Richardson. 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. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. Richardson kept a game ball from the championship game and a pair of Unitas cleats in the basement of his Charlotte home. If wed known then how long it would take, we never would have done it, Richardson said in 1995, on the eve of the Panthers first game. The report alleged that Richardson had committed numerous instances of workplace misconduct, including sexual harassment, uttering a racial slur and asking some of his female employees if he could personally shave their legs., The report, which was substantiated by the NFLs ensuing probe, revealed that at least four former Panthers employees had received significant financial settlements from Richardson following his inappropriate behavior in exchange for what amounted to a vow of silence. It also noted that Fridays were Jeans Day at the Panthers offices, and that became fodder for many inappropriate comments by Richardson. He was fined $2.75 million by the NFL after an extensive investigation into the allegations following a story by Sports Illustrated in which four former employees anonymously stated they reached a financial settlement with Richardson in exchange for silence. He used his championship bonus money to open the first Hardees in Spartanburg, South Carolina close to where he had attended Wofford College. You'll now receive the top Panthers Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. The heart donor has never been identified. He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful. The Ohio State product feels good about his ability as a passer and extending plays with his legs, but he's just as willing to put in the work to grow at the next level. That got Richardson seriously thinking about trying to bring an NFL team to Charlotte. Florida. Jerry Richardson age, height, weight, net worth 2023, wife, kids, gay I will always be grateful to him for the opportunity to coach the Carolina Panthers & for his patient, steadfast leadership during 7 seasons. We got love from a man that was my employer, my boss, not a close personal friend at the time, Olsen said. He took the money earned from that game and started the first Hardee's franchise in Spartanburg. Richardsons bid for an NFL team had to at first beat out a competing bid for a Charlotte team from Shinn. He sold the team to Tepper, a hedge fund owner, in May 2018 for a then-NFL record $2.27 billion. "He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful. When he owned the team, Richardson would often refer back to the lessons learned selling hamburgers. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. "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. Lawmakers and others should not seek to undo laws meant to protect people from gun violence. 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. They have a daughter named Ashley and a son named Mark in addition to their son Jon, who passed away in 2013. "I was able to become the player that I became because of him, because he encouraged and motivated me to Keep Pounding. His mother worked as a sales clerk at a womens dress shop. Theres nothing Id rather do with my time than be supportive of the Carolina Panthers.. The resignations were a shocking development that left Richardson as the only family member involved in the teams day-to-day operations. Carruth was imprisoned for 16 years. Jon, Mark, and Ashley Richardson Allen are her three children. . 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. Nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild are also included in their family. Personal Life: Affair, Girlfriends, Wife, Kids. Richardson is survived by his wife, Rosalind, son Mark and daughter Ashley Richardson Allen. As the team's owner, Jerry Richardson, made his rounds on the way to his spacious office, he would ask women to turn around so he could admire their backsides. The following month the NFL fined Richardson $2.75 million for alleged workplace misconduct. He and his wife have two sons, Mark and Jon. Richardson was hospitalized in the year 2008 in Carolinas Medical Center. 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 made millions in the business world in the food business, but it was football that made him happy. 2 days ago He was 86. An only child, Richardson had a modest upbringing. We are saddened to hear about the passing of former owner Jerry Richardson, the Panthers said via Twitter on Thursday afternoon. He made his private plane available to tight end Greg Olsen before Olsens wife delivered a son who was born with a congenital heart defect. He made the greatest gift in Wofford Colleges history in 2021 when he gave $150 million to the institution. A 1987 Observer story noted that Richardsons Spartan Food Systems restaurant colossus at that point included 2,000 Hardees, Quincys and Dennys restaurants. 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. They have three children. 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). I said, Yes sir, it did. He said, thats a good thing everything will be OK. And then he hung up the phone.. RIP Mr. Richardson pic.twitter.com/o27b6O5Czt. But Richardson also showed compassion for his players. Lets just say I wasnt bursting with optimism, Richardson told The Observer in a 1995 story. Too brutal.. He and I spent a tremendous amount of time talking about his vision for what the Panthers could do for the Carolinas. It was expected at the time one of the boys might inherit the team, but that never happened. The statue now resides in an undisclosed storage facility. When linebacker Thomas Davis retired in 2021, he thanked Richardson for believing in him and keeping him on the roster despite having suffered three torn ACLs in the same knee. Richardson said in 2018 his greatest mission in life was bringing the NFL to the Carolinas. Jerry Richardsons contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic. Although Richardson once promised the Panthers would win a Super Bowl "within 10 years" of beginning play in 1995, they never did. His height is 1.91 m tall, and his weight is 84 kg. CHARLOTTE, N.C (AP) 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 .