Panthers founder, former owner Jerry Richardson dies at 86

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WMBF) - Carolina Panthers founder and former owner Jerry Richardson has died, according to a statement from the team. He was 86.

Richardson, a North Carolina native who became a football standout at Wofford College, brought the Panthers to Charlotte in 1993 after being awarded the NFL’s 29th franchise. The team began play two years later.

“Jerry Richardson’s contributions to professional football in the Carolinas are historic,” Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper said in a statement. “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. He was incredibly gracious to me when I purchased the team, and for that I am thankful. Nicole and I extend our deepest condolences to Rosalind, the entire Richardson family, and their loved ones. We wish them much peace and comfort.”

He owned the team from its inception until selling it to David Tepper in 2018. The sale came after an NFL investigation found him guilty of multiple instances of sexual and racial misconduct. He was also fined $2.75 million by the league.

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