Jerry Richardson was the founder and longtime owner of the Carolina Panthers, the second former NFL player to own a team.
- Died: March 1, 2023 (Who else died on March 1?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina at the age of 86.
NFL career
After excelling on the football team at Wofford College, Richardson was drafted by the Baltimore Colts. He played two seasons for them, including their 1959 NFL Championship win. After his brief playing career, Richardson built a business empire, beginning as a Hardee’s franchisee. He went on to co-found Spartan Foods and serve as CEO of the food service company Flagstar. By the late 1980s, Richardson had begun working toward bringing the NFL to the Carolinas via an expansion team. He won his bid and established the Carolina Panthers, who debuted in the NFL in 1995, based in Charlotte.
Richardson was widely praised for his work with the Panthers until 2017, when a Sports Illustrated story revealed that several former Panthers employees had accused him of sexual and racial misconduct. At least four employees were awarded large monetary settlements, which had been kept quiet prior to the Sports Illustrated report. Richardson quickly agreed to sell the Panthers at the end of the 2017 season, and he was fined a record $2.75 million.
Tributes to Jerry Richardson
Full obituary: Charlotte Observer
