GREENSBORO, N.C. — The founding owner of the Carolina Panthers, Jerry Richardson, died Wednesday night, the team confirmed. He was 86. His family said he died peacefully in his sleep.
Richardson is credited with shaping the region by bringing football to the Carolinas.
He was a North Carolina native, born in the small town of Spring Hope.
He later went on to attend Wofford College in South Carolina, where he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts.
After a short stint in the league, Richardson hung up his cleats for dress shoes and launched his front-office career.
The process of building the Panthers started in 1987 but didn’t come to fruition until 1995 - a few years after the arrival of the Charlotte Hornets Basketball team.
In 2018, Richardson sold the Panthers amid accusations, including sexual harassment and using a racial slur.
Current owner David Tepper then bought the team.
“Jerry Richardson’s contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic…he was incredibly gracious to me with I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful,” Tepper said in part.
In February 2021, Richardson made a $150 million gift to Wofford College, pushing his personal contributions to the school to over a quarter of a billion dollars.
The school’s new basketball arena and athletic facility are named in his honor, as well as the football stadium at UNC Charlotte.
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