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After a brief playing career during which he
won the 1959 NFL Championship Game alongside Hall of Fame
quarterback Johnny Unitas, Richardson emerged as one of the most
influential owners in the league after the Panthers' 1995
inaugural season.
Richardson sold the team to hedge fund billionaire and former
Pittsburgh Steelers minority owner David Tepper in 2018 amid
allegations of workplace misconduct.
"Jerry Richardson's contributions to professional football in
the Carolinas are historic," Tepper and his wife Nicole said in
a statement.
"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."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell praised Richardson's
"league-first attitude", pointing to his leadership on the
Stadium Committee and Management Council Executive Committee.
"As a former player himself, Jerry cared deeply about the
welfare of players," said Goodell. "From a personal perspective,
he was a wise and caring advisor to me, his fellow owners, and
many Panthers players and coaches over the years."
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Ed Osmond)
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