Jerry Richardson
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| Position: | Flanker/Halfback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | July 18, 1936 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Spring Hope, North Carolina | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Fayetteville (NC) Sanford | ||||||||
| College: | Wofford | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1958 / Round: 13 / Pick: 154 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Receptions: | 15 |
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| Receiving Yards: | 171 |
| Total Touchdowns: | 4 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Jerome Johnson "Jerry" Richardson, Sr. (born July 18, 1936) is a former NFL player and the founder and principal owner of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League
Richardson was born in Spring Hope, North Carolina. After completing high school in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he entered Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Richardson was an Associated Press Little All-America selection in 1957 and '58. He still holds Wofford's single-game record with 241 receiving yards vs. Newberry in 1956 and is the record holder for touchdown receptions in a season (9 in 1958) and in a career (21). As a senior at Wofford, he scored 72 points on nine touchdowns, 12 extra points and two field goals. Richardson calls his greatest honor being elected team captain in 1958. In 1983, he was chosen to Wofford's All-Time Football team as a receiver.
Richardson was also active in numerous groups on the Wofford campus. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity, President of the Inter-Fraternity Council, and member of the SCA Cabinet. Honors he received while at Wofford included Distinguished Military Student, Scabbard and Blade Military Fraternity, Sigma Delta Psi, Blue Key National Honorary Fraternity, and recognition in "Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges". [1a]
Drafted in the 13th round by the defending world champion Colts, Richardson played two seasons in the NFL, earning Colt Rookie of the Year honors in 1959. He caught a touchdown pass in the 1959 NFL Championship Game from quarterback Johnny Unitas.
Following his NFL career, Richardson embarked on a successful business career. Richardson used his 1959 NFL championship bonus with the help of Charles Bradshaw to open the first Hardee's franchise in Spartanburg. The two ended up owning the Hardee's business 50/50. The business expanded rapidly under his hands-on management style. From headquarters in Spartanburg, he co-founded Spartan Foods, which was the first franchisee of Hardee's. He later was the CEO of Flagstar, which was the sixth largest food service company in the nation, controlling 2,500 restaurants and 100,000 employees, and retired in 1995.
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