Using his championship game bonus as seed money, he opened his first Hardee's restaurant in Spartanburg. Arrangements were made by Doughty Funeral Home in Exmore, Virginia. The Panthers fell to the Denver Broncos with a score of 2410. Pastor W. Lloyd Brock will officiate. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. 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. Richardson became the first former NFL player to own a team since Chicagos George Halas when he landed the expansion Panthers in 1993. From his headquarters in Spartanburg, he co-founded Spartan Foods, which was the first franchisee of Hardee's. Richardsons tenure was marred by off-field issues. Richardson was well liked by his players. It was also reported he used a racial slur directed toward a team scout. Being a part of the inaugural season is something that I will never forget. He began to slow down as he entered his mid-60s, battling heart issues. Scott Wachter/USA TODAY Sports. 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.". [5], On October 26, 1993, Richardson became the first former NFL player since George Halas to become an owner when the Carolina Panthers were unanimously awarded the NFL's 29th franchise. [19] Two days later he was placed on a donor waiting list for a new heart. She survives. He was 53. He was born in Snyder, Oklahoma on October 15, 1938, the son of Mae (Gentry) and James Richardson. That kind of attention to detail was not unlike his days as owner of the Panthers, in which he'd approve particulars of landscaping plans (native plants from each state on the north and south sides of the stadium to represent the two Carolinas) and the paint job on the field. [1] Richardson was an Associated Press Little All-American selection in 1957 and 1958. 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. Jon and Mark later resigned reportedly because they had philosophical differences and were clashing. He is also known as Big Cat. "I never thought about not getting a franchise," Richardson said, expressing his trademark confidence. It's not a stretch to say the swirl involving Gruden resurrects memories connected to former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson and allegations of racism in his personal life and the restaurant empire he once owned. 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. There are nine grandchildren that The Richardsons have. The family is planning a private funeral service. 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. The following month the NFL fined Richardson $2.75 million for alleged workplace misconduct. He was 53. The bad stretch for statues of old southern men rolls on. The story of the Cowboys scout and prospect son Dallas just drafted, Legacy pick: Cardinals take great-great-nephew of team's first-ever draft pick, From trade request to 5-year extension: Answering the biggest questions about Lamar Jackson's new deal, amid allegations of sexual and racial workplace misconduct, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, More than 25 years experience covering NFL, college football and NASCAR. The woman also addressed the Panthers' general counsel, calling them "enablers" of the alleged misconduct . 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 bet you had to lay down on your bed to fit into those jeans. 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. Richardson sold the team in 2017 as a result of the allegations. Subsequently, in February 2009, he underwent a heart transplant. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. He was a great friend of many people throughout the organization and played an integral role in the history of the Panthers in the building of Bank of America Stadium. He enlisted sports marketing executive Max Muhleman, and they put in place the first permanent seat license concept, in which fans paid an up-front fee for access to season tickets. Jerry Jackson Richardson, 76, husband of Mary Catherine Spence Richardson and a resident of Melfa, VA, passed away Thursday, January 7, 2021, at VCU Medical Center in Richmond, VA. A native of Willis Wharf, VA, he was the son of the late Earlie Jackson Richardson and the late Nettie Parks Richardson. His height is 1.91 m tall, and his weight is 84 kg. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 Thursday evening at the funeral home.
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