Jerry Richardson

Lore & Background

Richardson was born in Spring Hope, North Carolina. He went to Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He was an Associated Press Little All-American selection in 1957 and 1958. He still holds Wofford's single-game record with 241 receiving yards vs. Newberry in 1956 and is the school's 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 called being elected team captain in 1958 the greatest honor he had received. In 1983, he was chosen to Wofford's All-Time Football team as a receiver. Richardson was 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. Drafted in the 13th round of the 1958 NFL draft by the defending league champion Baltimore 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.

He was traded from the Colts to the New York Giants for John Guzik on August 3, 1961. After his NFL career, Richardson used his 1959 NFL championship bonus with the help of friend and former Wofford quarterback 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 his 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 United States, controlling 2,500 restaurants and providing jobs for 100,000 employees. He retired in 1995. According to Statistica, he is the wealthiest NFL player of all time. On October 26, 1993, Richardson became the first former NFL player since George Halas to become an owner when the Carolina Panthers were unanimously awarded the NFL's 29th franchise.

Did You Know?

• He donated $150 million to Wofford College in 2021, the largest gift in the school's history.
• A 13-foot statue of Richardson was removed from Bank of America Stadium in 2020.