He was not a close personal friend at the time. On Thursday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers announced the passing of team founder and former owner Jerry Richardson. 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. Photos of Jerry Richardson throughout his time with the Panthers. 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. Richardson, after numerous accusations of workplace misconduct, sold the Panthers to Tepper back in 2018. I will always be grateful to him for the opportunity to coach the Carolina Panthers & for his patient, steadfast leadership during 7 seasons. Jerry Richardson Wife: Who Is Rosalind Sallenger Richardson? "I was able to become the player that I became because of him, because he encouraged and motivated me to Keep Pounding. Jansen Panettieres cause of death revealed by Hayden Panettiere and his family, Kris Jordan: Cause of death, age, ex-wife Melissa Jordan, children, net worth and more, Where to buy Atlanta Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson's Christmas cleats. The Carolina Panthers defeated the New York Giants 23 to 0. Jerry Richardson's Wife, Marriage & Relationship Richardson is married to Rosalind Sallenger Richardson. Jerry Richardson Age, Net worth: Kids, Weight, Bio-Wiki, Wife 2023 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. Panthers founder Jerry Richardson passes away at 86 NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! Within hours of the Sports Illustrated report, Richardson announced that he would sell the Panthers. Catch up on the developing stories making headlines. 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 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. Jerry Richardson Net Worth. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. With the Colts, he roomed with quarterback Johnny Unitas, and caught a touchdown pass from the Hall of Famer in the 1959 NFL Championship Game. Jerry Richardson entered Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, after completing high school in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. They have three children. Richardsons playing career lasted only two seasons when he walked away from the game at 25 following a dispute over $250. CHARLOTTE Jerry Richardson, the founder of the Carolina Panthers, passed away Wednesday night at age 86. He gave me a chance when no one else would! "The NFL community is deeply saddened by the passing of Jerry Richardson. . "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. Sign up for the Panthers Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. "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. "Mr. Richardson taught me so many life lessons over the years and I will forever be grateful for the friendship and the bond that we had. 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 am truly heartbroken and sad over the loss of my friend. 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.". His father was a barber. How could you ever forget that? Richardson said in the 1995 interview with The Observer. He was later released. His survivors include his wife Rosalind and two of their three children Mark and Ashley. Jerry Richardson, Panthers founder and former owner, dies at 86, Jaxon Smith-Njigba wants to re-create connection with Bears QB Justin Fields, NFL Scouting Combine shifts mock draft, but Bears needs unchanged, QBs in NFL Draft in haze as Bears play poker with No. 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. Also Read: Who was Jerry Richardson? Conservative by nature, Richardson once cautioned Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton against getting tattoos and piercings after drafting the quarterback No. 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. CHARLOTTE Jerry Richardson, the founder of the Carolina Panthers, passed away Wednesday night at age 86. That kind of production earned him Associated Press Little All-America honors in 1957 and 1958, and in 1959, he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts. (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. "Jerry Richardson brought NFL football to the Carolinas!'' One former female employee recalled Richardson arriving barefoot and asking for a foot massage.. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! 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. The heart donor has never been identified. Richardson teamed with quarterback and future business partner Charlie Bradshaw to become one of the top passing tandems among small colleges. Richardson began the process of building a football team in July of 1987, when he met with former Bank of America CEO and Charlotte icon Hugh McColl to discuss his dream of bringing the sport to his home state. 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. They kept opening more and more Hardees, with Richardson before long a multi-millionaire taking a hands-on approach to the business many times. It was expected at the time one of the boys might inherit the team, but that never happened. Please keep the Richardson family in your prayers today! The Carolina Panthers founder and former owner died on March 1, 2023. Panthers owner David Tepper comments on Jerry Richardson's passing Using his championship game bonus as seed money, he opened his first Hardee's restaurant in Spartanburg. Playing for the Browns that day was offensive tackle Mike McCormack, whom Richardson would later hire as the Panthers first president. Nicole and I extend our deepest condolences to Rosalind, the entire Richardson family, and their loved ones. Richardson served on several high-level owners committees, playing a key role in labor negotiations with the players union. Fitterer and head coach Frank Reich also touched on other needs the team has, and what the priorities are for the coming weeks during their interviews at the combine. He began to slow down as he entered his mid-60s, battling heart issues. Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera, who led Carolina to the Super Bowl in 2015, sent his condolences on Twitter. Richardson was forced to sell the team to Tepper for a then NFL-record $2.275 billion after the 2017 season amid allegations of sexual and racial misconduct in the workplace. The lack of consistency was a source of irritation for 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. Rosalind Sallenger Richardson; the wife of former player and current team owner, Jerome Johnson Richardson, simply known as Jerry Richardson; he is the owner of the Carolina Panthers. RIP Mr. Richardson pic.twitter.com/o27b6O5Czt. Wofford offered Richardson a partial scholarship worth less than $300, and he took it. 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. The Olsens honored Richardson by naming their son T.J., short for Trent Jerry. Mr. Richardson claims that Wofford has had the biggest impact on his achievement in life, with no other influence coming close. 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). Jerry Richardson and his wife donate $5 million to African-American Although Richardson once promised the Panthers would win a Super Bowl within 10 years of beginning play in 1995, they never did. Darin Gantt. When I went through my injuries and everyone told him it was time to move on and turn the page he said no. Richardson would set several Wofford receiving records on his way to a career that led the school to retire his football number. Rosalind Sallenger Richardson. It was also reported he used a racial slur directed toward a team scout. The scholarship was meant to honor his wife and her commitment to the arts. 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. 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