The Carolina Panthers’ founding owner, Jerry Richardson, passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 86.
His personal odyssey concluded with the introduction of professional football to the Carolinas, making a lasting impression on the place he loved. He was a native son who was influenced by the location.
The beginning of voyage that would change the Carolinas began when Jerome J. Richardson was born on July 18, 1936, in Spring Hope, North Carolina.
Richardson left his hometown of Fayetteville to attend Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he excelled in football and built the foundation for a business empire that would eventually allow him to play the sport again.
He still retains the school records for receiving yards in a single game (241 versus Newberry in 1956), touchdown receptions in a season (9), and career (13). (21). He received Associated Press Little All-America recognition for his performance in 1957 and 1958, and the Baltimore Colts selected him in the 1959 NFL Draft.
He shared a room with Johnny Unitas when playing for the Colts, and the Hall of Fame quarterback threw him a touchdown pass in the 1959 NFL Championship Game.
But during his second season, he quit the NFL over a pay dispute and moved back to Spartanburg to launch his business career. He launched his first Hardee’s restaurant in Spartanburg using the proceeds from his championship game bonus as startup capital.
Jerry Richardson Wife: Who Is Rosalind Sallenger Richardson?
Jerry Richardson, a former NFL owner, is survived by his wife Rosalind Sallenger Richardson.
In the late 1950s, Rosalind Sallenger Richardson studied at Winthrop University.
Winthrop actually couldn’t have welcomed someone better for their future, despite the fact that she probably appeared to be just another student at the moment.
In 2016, Jerry Richardson donated money to establish the Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts on the Wofford College campus in memory of his wife of more than 60 years. He provided funding for Wofford’s cutting-edge Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in 2017.