The Richardsons have a total of nine grandchildren. It was also reported he used a racial slur directed toward a team scout. His survivors include his wife Rosalind and two of their three children Mark and Ashley. 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. Stephanie & I were saddened to learn of the passing of Jerry Richardson, Rivera said on social media. 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 knew that his physical presence inside a store had a way of motivating his employees. 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. The team reached the Super Bowl in the 2003 and 2015 seasons, but lost both times. Rest up my friend!''. The promise came close to coming true during the 2003 season. It was a stormy night, she said then. Richardson kept a game ball from the championship game and a pair of Unitas cleats in the basement of his Charlotte home. 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. 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. 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. Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. 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. Also Read: Who was Jerry Richardson? 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. 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. pic.twitter.com/9Cjn0PSYW2. That would be real boring.. Pictures of Richardson holding babies or showing up at pre-game tailgates made their rounds on social media before most games. He has given considerable gifts to . 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. Jon Richardson died of cancer in 2013. Richardson survived a series of serious health-related issues in his later years. Richardson teamed with quarterback and future business partner Charlie Bradshaw to become one of the top passing tandems among small colleges. A native son who was shaped by the region, his . The following month the NFL fined Richardson $2.75 million for alleged workplace misconduct. 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 Quincy Williams or JuJu Smith-Schuster: Who is the better grinch. (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. About the time he came into this world, thunder burst and lightning flashed. Wofford offered Richardson a partial scholarship worth less than $300, and he took it. He and his wife have two sons, Mark and Jon. ", "I will always be thankful to Mr. Richardson for providing me with the opportunity to play for the Panthers. 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. 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. The sale of the Panthers for a reported $2.275 billion followed the scandal that was uncovered by Sports Illustrated magazine in December 2017. Their country home had no indoor plumbing. 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. And he went above and beyond to bring love and comfort to a family at its toughest time.". 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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. 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. When Richardson heard the news in Chicago on Oct. 26, 1993, that his bid had been accepted to own the NFLs 29th franchise, he pointed to television cameras from the Carolinas at a press conference and yelled: Thank you, thank you, thank you!. He was a loyal member of the league, and painted "The Shield" logo at the 50-yard-line of his home field throughout his tenure as owner. Being a part of the inaugural season is something that I will never forget. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. Scoring in a world championship game is about the ultimate as far as a player is concerned.. 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. He used his championship bonus money to open the first Hardees in Spartanburg, South Carolina close to where he had attended Wofford College. Richardson had a pacemaker/defibrillator inserted in his heart in 2008, and doctors told him he would need a heart transplant. He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful. Id call it sticking to your convictions.. Carruth was imprisoned for 16 years. Richardson, after numerous accusations of workplace misconduct, sold the Panthers to Tepper back in 2018. He was later released. Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is a former NFL player who turned a $4744 championship bonus into a billion dollar fast food fortune. 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 NFL community is deeply saddened by the passing of Jerry Richardson. 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. Richardson died. He was 86. Three months later, running back Fred Lane, who had just been traded to Indianapolis, was shot and killed by his wife in their Charlotte home. A new home for Michael Thomas? Although Richardson once promised the Panthers would win a Super Bowl "within 10 years" of beginning play in 1995, they never did. He gave me a chance when no one else would! Richardson served on several high-level owners committees, playing a key role in labor negotiations with the players' union. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. Jerry Richardson's Wife, Marriage & Relationship Richardson is married to Rosalind Sallenger Richardson. Within hours of the Sports Illustrated report, Richardson announced that he would sell the Panthers. 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. This website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure you get the best experience, including personalised content. 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). , , , Tunisha Sharma , , 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. 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. He sold the team to Tepper, a hedge fund owner, in May 2018 for a then-NFL record $2.27 billion. 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). Jerry Richardsons contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic, current Panthers owner David Tepper and his wife Nicole said in a statement. Jerome J. Richardson was born July 18, 1936, in Spring Hope, N.C., the first step in a journey that would transform the Carolinas. He ultimately became a millionaire and used that money to purchase the Panthers for $206 million. ", "Jerry Richardson gave me my first opportunity to be a head coach, and I'll always be thankful for that. We wish them much peace and comfort.". Mr. Richardson is a native Carolinian, whose dream was to bring NFL football and the world championship he knew as a player in the . 1 overall in 2011 for fear it would impact his image. In the late 1950s, Rosalind Sallenger Richardson studied at Winthrop University. Along the way, decisions were made that changed the face of sports business. Will Buffalo Bills' Nyheim Hines be fined for 'Santa's Helpers' elf cleats during Chicago Bears Christmas tie? I dont know whether youd call it stubbornness or not, Richardson later told the Observer. 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. But as he stepped back from some of his day-to-day work with the team, his influence within the NFL remained large. Carruth was imprisoned for 16 years. One former female employee recalled Richardson arriving barefoot and asking for a foot massage.. One of our dear friends said, God does not give out hearts lightly, Rosalind Richardson told The Observer two weeks after the surgery. Too brutal.. 2 days ago View photos of Richardson from the inaugural season in 1995 through decades of coaches and players in the Panthers community. The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation supported the first-of-its-kind in Mecklenburg County project, which offers urgent care for behavioral health needs. 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. Sign up for the Panthers Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. He owned the franchise from its inception in 1995 until 2018 when he sold it to David and Nicole Tepper. 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. 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. I'd been here for one season and we'd won six games. (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. 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 odds against us were huge. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton). I was told I couldn't get my company on the New York Stock Exchange before I was 40. He began the Carolina Panthers franchise, which he owned from 1995 to 2018. 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. While fans saw a stoic Richardson sitting expressionless in his end-zone suite at Bank of America Stadium on Sundays, he was not afraid to cut up with his players. On Thursday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers announced the passing of team founder and former owner Jerry Richardson. Richardson founded the. Lets just say I wasnt bursting with optimism, Richardson told The Observer in a 1995 story. 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. The Panthers began play in 1995 and Richardson quickly built Carolina into one of the leagues model franchises, while becoming a powerful figure in the NFL. Richardson never addressed the allegations against him publicly. The Panthers were the Carolinas team, but for many years, they belonged to Richardson. The NFL expansion process was painstaking. 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. He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful. Can the Lions fix their defense? Richardson was born in his familys home in Spring Hope, in the eastern part of North Carolina, on July 18, 1936. Within hours of the report, Richardson announced his decision to sell the team. Scott Fowler is a national award-winning sports columnist for The Charlotte Observer. "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. Nicole and I extend our deepest condolences to Rosalind, the entire Richardson family, and their loved ones. Rosalind Sallenger Richardson. He made the greatest gift in Wofford Colleges history in 2021 when he gave $150 million to the institution. It was also reported he used a racial slur directed toward a team scout. He believed in me when no one else did. 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. 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. I will always be grateful to him for the opportunity to coach the Carolina Panthers & for his patient, steadfast leadership during 7 seasons. 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. But Richardson also showed compassion for his players. 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. The following month the NFL fined Richardson $2.75 million for alleged workplace misconduct. 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. pic.twitter.com/9Cjn0PSYW2. Jerry Richardson and wife Rosalind Sallenger Richardson established a $500,000 fully endowed scholarship to Winthrop. Richardson was . Muhleman noted the drive that Richardson exhibited in his relentless pursuit of making Carolina the NFLs 29th franchise. CHARLOTTE Jerry Richardson, the founder of the Carolina Panthers, passed away Wednesday night at age 86. . Former Pro Bowl linebacker Thomas Davis, who played for Carolina from 2005 to 2018, summed up what many players thought of Richardson with this post on Instagram. 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. They have a daughter named Ashley and a son named Mark in addition to their son Jon, who passed away in 2013. Nicole and I extend our deepest condolences to Rosalind, the entire Richardson family, and their loved ones. Carolina began play in 1995 and Richardson quickly built the Panthers into one of the leagues model franchises, while becoming a powerful figure in the NFL. He fired a number of Richardson-era employees after his purchase and also quickly changed the 50-yard line symbol to the Panthers logo. Former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has died at age 86. Rosalind Sallenger, Richardsons wife, also studied at Winthrop University in the late 1950s. 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. Fox said from the NFL combine in Indianapolis. 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. In every case he had one purpose: asking for advice and learning what it was that was wanted from member teams and owners.. 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. Richardson called Archie Manning, Peytons father, to clear the air and believed the situation was overblown. For better or worse. Richardsons mother, Mary, told The Observer in 1993 that her son was born after 17 hours of labor during a thunderstorm. Lawmakers and others should not seek to undo laws meant to protect people from gun violence. Heather ODonnell of the Chicago social services agency Thresholds says the money is an opportunity to really build up substance use care.. Also Read: Kris Jordan: Cause of death, age, ex-wife Melissa Jordan, children, net worth and more. Jerry Richardson family: Who are wife Rosalind Sallenger Richardson and children Ashley, Jon and Mark? 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 . 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. Jerry Richardsons contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic. A 1987 Observer story noted that Richardsons Spartan Food Systems restaurant colossus at that point included 2,000 Hardees, Quincys and Dennys restaurants. 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. 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. On the NFL's behalf, I extend our sincere condolences to Jerry's wife, Rosalind, and their family. The team said that moving the statue is in the interest of public safety. It has never returned. I have the ultimate American dream, it couldnt be better for me. He calls and says, Jake, the sun came out today at my house, did it come out at yours?, Delhomme said Thursday. Conservative by nature, Richardson once cautioned Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton against getting tattoos and piercings after drafting the quarterback No. This story was originally published March 2, 2023, 3:51 PM. We wish them much peace and comfort.. 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. "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. Net Worth: $2 Billion. "He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful. The heart donor has never been identified. The founder and former owner of the Panthers passed away on Wednesday night. 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. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. It revealed that Richardsons assistant would escort female employees to Richardsons office and then leave. Nicole and I extend our deepest condolences to Rosalind, the entire Richardson family, and their loved ones. 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. He sold the team to Tepper, a hedge fund owner, in May 2018 for a then-NFL record $2.27 billion. It was a very stressful time.. 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.