Public celebration of life set for former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — A public celebration of Jerry Richardson’s life will be held next week, and it’ll be at the former Carolina Panthers owner’s alma mater, according to Richardson’s family.

Richardson died peacefully last Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement. He was 86 years old.

According to a family spokesperson, the public celebration will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 18, in the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The celebration will also be streamed online on Channel 9′s website and the WSOC Now app.

Richardson first made waves by setting football records at Wofford College. He later caught a touchdown pass in the Baltimore Colts’ victory over the New York Giants in the 1959 NFL championship game. Richardson only spent two years in the NFL before getting into the restaurant business, using his championship money to open the first Hardee’s in Spartanburg.

Richardson became the first former NFL player to own a team since Chicago’s George Halas when he landed the expansion Panthers in 1993. He was also a respected businessman and philanthropist. Richardson said in 2018 his greatest mission in life was bringing the NFL to the Carolinas.

(WATCH: Founder of the Carolina Panthers Jerry Richardson dies)

Founder of the Carolina Panthers Jerry Richardson dies

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