He was later released. I will always be grateful to him for the opportunity to coach the Carolina Panthers & for his patient, steadfast leadership during 7 seasons. Richardson died. The Panthers' 2017 Tree Lighting at Bank of America Stadium. After he had a heart transplant in Charlotte in 2009, Richardson lived for 14 more years. Being a part of the inaugural season is something that I will never forget. Rosalind Sallenger Richardson. He was 86. 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. 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. Jerry Richardson and his wife donate $5 million to African-American He was dedicated to making the Panthers the team of the Carolinas, building Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and making Wofford College the long-time home of the team's training camp. Fox said from the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Richardson took that playoff bonus money and invested it into the restaurant business. Richardson pulled down an 8-yard pass from Unitas for his first NFL touchdown in a 38-31 loss to Cleveland on Nov. 1, 1959. Richardsons bid for an NFL team had to at first beat out a competing bid for a Charlotte team from Shinn. I sweated it out every day. Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is a former NFL player who turned a $4744 championship bonus into a billion dollar fast food fortune. Carolina earned high marks in several key areas in survey, which rated various aspects of players' experience from strength coaches and the locker room to treatment of families. 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. 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. The Panthers were the Carolinas team, but for many years, they belonged to Richardson. 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 Richardsons contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic. Because of his imposing build and status as a former NFL player, Richardson engendered a level of respect not often accorded to NFL owners. He married Rosalind Sallenger 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. 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. Jerry Richardson Wiki, Age, Bio, Height, Wife, Career, Net Worth 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. In the year 2002, he received the heart trouble and had . He was 86. "He called me and told my wife and I to meet him at the airport, and he put us on his plane and took us up to Boston Children's Hospital to make sure we got the best care and the best team to look at him. The scholarship was meant to honor his wife and her commitment to the arts. 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. You cant get to all 2,000 of them, he said then of the companys restaurants. Jerry Richardson's age is 86 years old as of today's date 15th February 2023 having been born on 18 July 1936. "The odds against us were huge. Richardson had a unique style of dealing with players, but generally was well-liked by those who played and coached under him. Richardson teamed with quarterback and future business partner Charlie Bradshaw to become one of the top passing tandems among small colleges. Nicole and I extend our deepest condolences to Rosalind, the entire Richardson family, and their loved ones. They would later marry and have three children. https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/2023/03/02/panthers-owner-david-tepper-jerry-richardson/, Report: Panthers free agent RB D'Onta Foreman expected to be 'hot commodity', Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. officially opens mental health facility, Panthers OC Thomas Brown receives praise from 2023 NFL draft prospect, Will Levis: Breaking down film with Frank Reich, Panthers was fun, Panthers great Cam Newton honors late Jerry Richardson, Report: Panthers will not use franchise tag this offseason, Former Panthers react to passing of team founder Jerry Richardson, Report: Panthers inquire about trade for Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, Biggest takeaways from the Panthers' combine media availability, 1 player Panthers fans should watch for each day of the combine, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Former Panthers owner Jerry Richardson dead at 86 Carolina Panthers founder, former owner Jerry Richardson died 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. And defensive end Greg Hardy was suspended after he was arrested for communicating threats after allegedly throwing his girlfriend on to furniture and threatening to kill her. 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. He sold the team to Tepper, a hedge fund owner, in May 2018 for a then-NFL record $2.27 billion. Although Richardson once promised the Panthers would win a Super Bowl within 10 years of beginning play in 1995, they never did. 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. In 23 NFL seasons with Richardson as owner, the Panthers qualified for two Super Bowls, in the 2003 and 2015 postseason, although they lost both games. 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 and his wife have two sons, Mark and Jon. Richardson didnt play much for Baltimore. 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. Richardson founded the. 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. I have the ultimate American dream, it couldnt be better for me. Richardson, who was born July 18, 1936. He sold the team to Tepper, a hedge fund owner, in May 2018 for a then-NFL record $2.27 billion. For me to try to explain to you guys what this man has meant to me and my family and so many others would take a lifetime," Davis posted. 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. After he had a heart transplant in Charlotte in 2009, Richardson lived for 14 more years. Conservative by nature, Richardson once cautioned Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton against getting tattoos and piercings after drafting the quarterback No. Richardson developed a friendship with some of his Panthers players -- some, like former wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, would approach him for business advice when their career were over. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Richardson is survived by his wife, Rosalind, son Mark and daughter Ashley Richardson Allen. He was 86. All about former Carolina Panthers owners, net worth, statue, scandals and more, What is enlarged heart? Stephanie & I were saddened to learn of the passing of Jerry Richardson, Rivera said on social media. After the Baltimore Colts drafted Richardson in the 13th round, he showed up for training camp in 1959 as one of 19 receivers fighting for three spots on the 36-man roster. 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. Jerome J. Richardson was born July 18, 1936, in Spring Hope, N.C., the first step in a journey that would transform the Carolinas. Conservative by nature, Richardson once cautioned Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton against getting tattoos and piercings after drafting the quarterback No. Heather ODonnell of the Chicago social services agency Thresholds says the money is an opportunity to really build up substance use care.. Jerry Richardson Age, Net worth: Kids, Weight, Bio-Wiki, Wife 2023 . "I was able to become the player that I became because of him, because he encouraged and motivated me to Keep Pounding. The family did not own a car until Jerry Richardson was 16. 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. Richardson would set several Wofford receiving records on his way to a career that led the school to retire his football number. Scott Fowler is a national award-winning sports columnist for The Charlotte Observer. The third head coach Richardson hired was John Fox in 2002, who would last for nine years before Richardson fired him and hired Ron Rivera following the 2010 season. Jerry Richardson family: Who are wife Rosalind Sallenger Richardson and children Ashley, Jon and Mark? What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? Rajeeta Kochhar? Richardsons legacy also includes the birth of the Panthers and the development of a restaurant empire that made him a rich enough man to join one of Americas most exclusive clubs the leagues 32 NFL owners. Jerry Richardson, Panthers founder and NFL power broker, dies at 86 Inaugural Keep Pounding High School Classic features Northwestern High School and Providence Day School. Richardson was hospitalized in the year 2008 in Carolinas Medical Center. A PSL would cost anywhere from $600 to $5400 per ticket and could later be re-sold or handed down in the right-holders will. 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. I've been told a lot of things.". Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. By then, the Panthers were playing their ninth NFL season. They have three children. When I went through my injuries and everyone told him it was time to move on and turn the page he said no. The Carolina Panthers founder and former owner died on March 1, 2023. 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. 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. Theres nothing Id rather do with my time than be supportive of the Carolina Panthers.. After a bad first half, Richardson caught several passes in the second half from Johnny Unitas and made the team. Sports columnist Scott Fowler has written for The Charlotte Observer since 1994. He was 86. He chaired the labor committee during the 2011 lockout before owners and players agreed on a 10-year collective bargaining agreement that ended the longest work stoppage in NFL history. The entire family lives in Charlotte. He made millions in the business world in the food business, but it was football that made him happy. The family did not list a cause of death. Jerry Richardson, former Baltimore Colts wide receiver who founded and Ralph Waclawicz/Call (212) 686-8900 or e-mail info@wireimage.com to license WireImage images. "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 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. 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. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Prosecutors dismissed domestic violence charges against Hardy after they said the accuser in the case couldnt be found. Jon Richardson died of cancer in 2013. I dont know whether youd call it stubbornness or not, Richardson later told the Observer. Within hours of the Sports Illustrated report, Richardson announced that he would sell the Panthers. The Panthers were the first team to employ the concept, and the influx of cash was crucial to privately financing what was then known as Carolinas Stadium. Scoring in a world championship game is about the ultimate as far as a player is concerned.. But when you get to some of them, the word moves fast to the rest of them.. Jerry Richardson Net Worth 2023, Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Kids 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. Richardson delivered an impassioned speech at the 2010 annual meetings, imploring owners to take back our league. But his hard-line tactics didnt sit well with all players, particularly after he was said to have spoken condescendingly toward Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Drew Brees during a negotiating session. Unitas took a personal interest in Richardson, picking up the young receiver every morning on his way to practice and bringing him home at the end of the day. Can the Lions fix their defense? Darin Gantt. "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.