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. "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. . "I will always be grateful to him for the opportunity to coach the Carolina Panthers & for his patient, steadfast leadership during 7 seasons," Rivera said on social media. They have a daughter named Ashley and a son named Mark in addition to their son Jon, who passed away in 2013. Will Buffalo Bills' Nyheim Hines be fined for 'Santa's Helpers' elf cleats during Chicago Bears Christmas tie? Richardson and Rosalind moved into an apartment close to Memorial Stadium in Baltimore with their infant son, Jon. Richardson became the first former NFL player to own a team since Chicagos George Halas when he landed the expansion Panthers in 1993. "On the NFL's behalf, I extend our sincere condolences to Jerry's wife, Rosalind, and their family.". It was expected at the time one of the boys might inherit the team, but that never happened. "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. '', We are saddened to hear about the passing of former owner Jerry Richardson. Though, he is 1.91 m tall, he weighs about 84 kg. 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. It revealed that Richardsons assistant would escort female employees to Richardsons office and then leave. Richardson had a unique style of dealing with players, but generally was well-liked by those who played and coached under him. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. 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 served on several high-level owners committees, playing a key role in labor negotiations with the players union. The team reached the Super Bowl in the 2003 and 2015 seasons, but lost both times. Net Worth: $2 Billion. Category: Richest Business. The Carolina Panthers defeated the New York Giants 23 to 0. He was 86.. 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. Richardson wanted $10,000 for the 61 season; the Colts offered $9,750. He was 86. Rajeeta Kochhar? 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. Nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild are also included in their family. 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 was not a close personal friend at the time. Too grueling. 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. The following month the NFL fined Richardson $2.75 million for alleged workplace misconduct. Former Panthers general manager Marty Hurney worked under Richardson from 2002-12 and then returned to the team in 2017 and worked four more years. But until Oct. 26, 1993 the day Richardson was awarded the NFL's 29th franchise it was all still a dream, to everyone but Richardson. 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. Read what head coach Frank Reich said to the media during his press conference at the Combine on Wednesday. Ive always told him he came into the world with a streak of lightning.. Jon, Mark, and Ashley Richardson Allen are her three children. 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. "His generosity will benefit future generations," Wofford athletics director Richard Johnson said. A family spokesman said Thursday that Richardson died peacefully last night at his Charlotte home.. The Richardsons have a total of nine grandchildren. I said, Yes sir, it did. He said, thats a good thing everything will be OK. And then he hung up the phone.. He was 86.. There, he began creating the emphasis on customer service that would carry over into his stewardship of his football team. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. 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. "I didn't pay any attention to it. An only child, Richardson had a modest upbringing. 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. Richardson became the first former NFL player to own a team since the Bears George Halas when he landed the expansion Panthers in 1993. I'd been here for one season and we'd won six games. Richardson served on several high-level owners committees, playing a key role in labor negotiations with the players union. This story was originally published March 2, 2023, 3:51 PM. Richardson never addressed the allegations against him publicly. The scholarship was meant to honor his wife and her commitment to the arts. Could the Cowboys look at a running back in first round again? He played football at Fayetteville High 6-3, 150-pound receiver known as Stick for his slender frame who won the teams Competitor Trophy. The founder and former owner of the Panthers passed away on Wednesday night. 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. But underlying differences in how the team should be run made the owner ask his sons to resign in late August of 2009, about six months after Jerry Richardsons heart transplant. 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. 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. We wish them much peace and comfort.. Richardson said in 2018 his greatest mission in life was bringing the NFL to the Carolinas. Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is a former NFL player who turned a $4744 championship bonus into a billion dollar fast food fortune. Richardson is survived by his wife, Rosalind, son Mark and daughter Ashley Richardson Allen. He did so with lots of help, including the necessary financial backing from close friend and Charlotte mega-banker Hugh McColl Jr. Richardsons son Mark was also instrumental in the effort. You'll now receive the top Panthers Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. But before he could ride around those games and bask in the adulation of having brought the NFL to the Carolinas, he had to deliver them. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's cap hit might be rising in 2023, but owner Jerry Jones believes his quarterback has the ability to bridge the gap in any talent the roster might lose because of it. The lack of consistency irritated Richardson, as Carolina failed to put together back-to-back winning seasons during his 23 seasons as owner despite hiring four coaches: Dom Capers, George Seifert, John Fox and Ron Rivera. Their football stadium already had a name, but the school's new basketball arena and athletic facility still bear his, as does the football stadium at UNC Charlotte. We wish them much peace and comfort.". Sports columnist Scott Fowler has written for The Charlotte Observer since 1994. I am truly heartbroken and sad over the loss of my friend. His survivors include his wife Rosalind and two of their three children Mark and Ashley. The Richardsons are both lifelong residents of North Carolina. He gave me a chance when no one else would! You cant get to all 2,000 of them, he said then of the companys restaurants. 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. 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. 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. We all felt his love, all felt his commitment, Greene said of Richardson. Jerome "Jerry" Richardson, the founding owner of the Carolina Panthers franchise, passed away on Wednesday night at his Charlotte home at the age of 86. Richardsons bid for an NFL team had to at first beat out a competing bid for a Charlotte team from Shinn. 5:26 PM on Mar 2, 2023 CST. Condolences to Rosalind, Ashley, & Mark and the Richardson family.. Jerry Richardson family: Who are wife Rosalind Sallenger Richardson and children Ashley, Jon and Mark? Even in his later years, Richardsons posture showcased what Muhleman called a flawless vertical carriage that made him the tallest 6-foot-3 on the planet.. He was 86. We wouldnt go into this if I didnt think we could do it, Richardson said at a Charlotte news conference on Dec. 15, 1987, when he officially announced his bid for an NFL expansion franchise. He sold the team to Tepper, a hedge fund owner, in May 2018 for a then-NFL record $2.27 billion. Nicole and I extend our deepest condolences to Rosalind, the entire Richardson family, and their loved ones. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. But as he stepped back from some of his day-to-day work with the team, his influence within the NFL remained large. He died at his home in Charlotte on Wednesday night, the team said in a statement Thursday. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. Richardson, after numerous accusations of workplace misconduct, sold the Panthers to Tepper back in 2018. The following day Richardson would tell a pep rally of thousands of fans in Charlotte that the Panthers would not only get to but win a Super Bowl within their first 10 years an unfulfilled promise that he was often reminded of in later years. "I never thought about not getting a franchise," Richardson said, expressing his trademark confidence. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! That got Richardson seriously thinking about trying to bring an NFL team to Charlotte. 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. I will always remember him, as will millions in his beloved Carolinas, as the father of NFL football in these sister states, said Max Muhleman, a public-relations specialist who worked closely with Richardson for years. Theres nothing Id rather do with my time than be supportive of the Carolina Panthers.. Ralph Waclawicz/Call (212) 686-8900 or e-mail info@wireimage.com to license WireImage images. 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 took that playoff bonus money and invested it into the restaurant business. Two months after going on the donor waiting list, Richardson, then 72, received his transplant on Super Bowl Sunday in 2009 during a five-hour procedure at Carolinas Medical Center. A public celebration of his life will be held at a later date. For better or worse. His height is 1.91 m tall, and his weight is 84 kg. Following his heart transplant, Richardson remained active in league business. Together they have three children and their names are Ashley Richardson Allen, Mark, and Jon. Conservative by nature, Richardson once cautioned Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton against getting tattoos and piercings after drafting the quarterback No. He sold the team to Tepper, a hedge fund owner, in May 2018 for a then-NFL record $2.27 billion. Carolina Panthers founder Jerry Richardson died Wednesday night at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 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.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.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. He was my boss. 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. The Spring Hope, North Carolina, native spent years trying to persuade the NFL to put a team in the Carolinas, ultimately succeeding through a relatively original concept of funding a new stadium through the sales of permanent seat licenses. Lawmakers and others should not seek to undo laws meant to protect people from gun violence. 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. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. That never deterred me. This website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure you get the best experience, including personalised content. The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation supported the first-of-its-kind in Mecklenburg County project, which offers urgent care for behavioral health needs. 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. Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. He would still make his rounds on his golf cart before many home games, however, greeting fans, players and coaches and shaking their hands. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. People had said it was 150-to-1, 200-to-1. It didnt go well for Hornets, Galen Youngs family upset after the woman who caused his death gets no prison time, At age 72, Dom Capers looks back and forward as he rejoins the Carolina Panthers, An astonishing legacy: Steve Joyner has coached basketball for 45 years at J.C. Smith, An island of misfit toys: Reich and original Panthers had unforgettable year in 1995, Sources: Former Panthers coach Matt Rhule seeks $5 million from team in arbitration suit, Panthers founder, former owner Jerry Richardson leaves behind a complicated legacy, Carolina Panthers founder and former owner Jerry Richardson dies at 86, A controversial history: Timeline of Jerry Richardsons life, career and team ownership, Panthers great Greg Olsen named his son after late team owner Jerry Richardson, Social media recounts Jerry Richardsons Panthers legacy the good and the bad, Former Panthers coach, players react to Panthers founder Jerry Richardsons death, From the archives: Carolinas NFL dream comes true. 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. We wish them much peace and comfort.. When he owned the team, Richardson would often refer back to the lessons learned selling hamburgers. Who helped themselves and who took a misstep on the second day of workouts at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine? Richardson had hired and fired two coaches Dom Capers, who got Carolina to the NFC championship game in Year 2 but could not repeat the success; and George Seifert, who went 16-32 in three desultory seasons in Carolina. Also Read: What is enlarged heart? On Thursday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers announced the passing of team founder and former owner Jerry Richardson. 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. That concept was iffy enough that well-known oddsmaker Danny Sheridan gave Charlotte 50-1 odds of getting an NFL team in 1989. 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. He was 86. Their country home had no indoor plumbing. I sweated it out every day. Richardson is survived by his wife, Rosalind, son Mark and daughter Ashley Richardson Allen. 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. With the arrival of the Panthers in 1995, he changed the landscape of sports in the region and gave NFL fans here a team to call their own. Richardson had a pacemaker/defibrillator inserted in his heart in 2008, and doctors told him he would need a heart transplant. But Richardsons tenure was marred by off-field issues. Pictures of Richardson holding babies or showing up at pre-game tailgates made their rounds on social media before most games. Nicole and I extend our deepest condolences to Rosalind, the entire Richardson family, and their loved ones. Quarterback Jake Delhomme, who led the Panthers to their first Super Bowl in the 2003 season, said Richardson was well respected in the locker room and great to me and every player who played for him.. He began to slow down as he entered his mid-60s, battling heart issues. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Carruth was imprisoned for 16 years. Photos: Carolina Panthers founder, former owner Jerry Richardson over the years, Support my work with a digital subscription, A nervous Kevin Durant debuts for Phoenix in Charlotte. "And he went above and beyond to bring comfort to a family at its toughest time.". He was 86. Fox said from the NFL combine in Indianapolis. I was told I couldn't get my company on the New York Stock Exchange before I was 40. John Fox, who coached the Panthers from 2002 to 2010 and led them to the Super Bowl in 2003, told ESPN on Thursday that he and his family are "thankful'' for the opportunity Richardson gave them. He has authored or co-authored eight books, including four about the Carolina Panthers. 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. The team called the statue a public safety hazard at the time, citing the nightly social justice marches then occurring in Charlotte. Jerry Richardson, the founder of the American football team Carolina Panthers, has died at the age of 86. Winthrop actually couldn't have welcomed someone better for their future, despite the fact that she probably appeared to be just another student at the moment. 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. He was later released. But I was a player on his team who needed help and he was able to provide it. 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 Richardsonslived in North Carolina their entire lives. Jerry Richardson got his heart transplanted in the year 2009. I have the ultimate American dream, it couldnt be better for me. One former female employee recalled Richardson arriving barefoot and asking for a foot massage.. Along the way, decisions were made that changed the face of sports business. Jerome Johnson Richardson Sr. (July 18, 1936 - March 1, 2023) was an American businessman, football player, and owner in the National Football League (NFL). Former Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen, who played for Carolina from 2011 to 2019, revealed in a video message on Twitter that his son T.J., who was born with hypo-plastic left heart syndrome that initially required four open heart surgeries, was named in part after Richardson as the "J" is Jerry. Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera, who led Carolina to the Super Bowl in 2015, sent his condolences on Twitter. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. 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. "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. I dont have any hobbies. "Jerry Richardson's contributions to professional football in the Carolina's are historic,'' current owners David and Nicole Tepper said in a statement. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade), Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, right, introduces the team's new coach, Ron Rivera, left, during a news conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011. 2 days ago When Carolina received an NFL team from the League in 1993, Richardson became the second former NFL player to hold the position of the owner. Funeral services will be private. 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. Olsen and his wife Kara later named the child Trent Jerry Olsen after Richardson. 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. In a two-sentence statement at the time that didnt explain the mysterious parting, Richardson cited the great contributions his sons had made, but expressed confidence in the remaining members of the leadership team. Richardson was hospitalized in the year 2008 in Carolinas Medical Center. He took the money earned from that game and started the first Hardee's franchise in Spartanburg. Chad Reuter provides a stock report from Indianapolis. Richardson was insistent on his stadium being financed privately. Richardson never addressed the allegations against him publicly. But Richardson also showed compassion for his players. Richardson was rarely one to back down from a challenge, but there were some challenges he couldn't overcome by sheer force of will and determination. It was widely assumed Richardson would hold onto the team until his death. 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. They becamethe parents of three children. Mr. Richardson claims that Wofford has had the biggest impact on his achievement in life, with no other influence coming close. He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful. The team reached the Super Bowl in the 2003 and 2015 seasons, but lost both times. In the year 2002, he received the heart trouble and had . 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Richardson was celebrated for bringing the NFL to Carolina in 1995, but his tenure with the team ended after the 2017 season amid allegations of sexual and racial workplace misconduct. Richardson knew that his physical presence inside a store had a way of motivating his employees. The Spring Hope, North Carolina, native spent years trying to persuade the NFL to put a team in the Carolinas, ultimately succeeding through a relatively original concept of funding a new stadium through the sales of permanent seat licenses. Richardson never addressed the allegations against him publicly. Who was Jerry Richardson? Richardson was born in Spring Hope, North Carolina, in 1936. The NFL expansion process was painstaking. Richardsons playing career lasted only two seasons when he walked away from the game at 25 following a dispute over $250. 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. Richardsons catch came in the horseshoe end of Memorial Stadium, where the rowdier Colts fans congregated. I work, I go home, he said. 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. Info. Sign up for the Panthers Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 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. They played miniature golf in Myrtle Beach on their first date. 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. The stadium was named "Jerry Richardson Stadium" after his donation of $10 Million. The following month the NFL fined Richardson $2.75 million for alleged workplace misconduct. He used his championship bonus money to open the first Hardees in Spartanburg, South Carolina close to where he had attended Wofford College. 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.
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