Panthers founder, former owner Jerry Richardson dies at 86

CHARLOTTE, N.C — Jerry Richardson, the Carolina Panthers founder and for years one of many NFL’s most influential homeowners till a scandal compelled him to promote the staff, has died. He was 86.

Richardson died peacefully Wednesday evening at his Charlotte house, the staff stated in a press release.

Richardson grew to become the primary former NFL participant to personal a staff since Chicago’s George Halas when he landed the growth Panthers in 1993.

A former teammate of Johnny Unitas who caught a landing move within the Baltimore Colts’ victory over the New York Giants within the 1959 NFL championship recreation, Richardson solely spent two years within the NFL earlier than venturing into the restaurant enterprise. He used his championship bonus cash to open the primary Hardee’s in Spartanburg, South Carolina — near the place he had attended Wofford School.

He went on to make his fortune within the restaurant enterprise, changing into chief govt officer of Flagstar, the sixth-largest meals service firm within the nation on the time.

The Spring Hope, North Carolina, native spent years making an attempt to steer the NFL to place a staff within the Carolinas, finally succeeding by a comparatively unique idea of funding a brand new stadium by the gross sales of everlasting seat licenses.

“Jerry Richardson’s contributions to skilled within the Carolinas are historic,” present Panthers proprietor David Tepper and his spouse Nicole stated in a press release. “With the arrival of the Panthers in 1995, he modified the panorama of sports activities within the area and gave the NFL followers right here a staff to name their very own. He was extremely gracious to me once I bought the staff, and for that I’m grateful. Nicole and I prolong our deepest condolences to Rosalind, the whole Richardson household, and their family members. We want them a lot peace and luxury.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL