Unraveling the 'complicated legacy' of Jerry Richardson

(EDITOR’S NOTE: To listen to the Pat Yaskinkas interview, click on the following link: Megaphone)

When former Carolina owner Jerry Richardson passed away earlier this month at the age of 86, an obituary in the New York Times described him as “both loved and feared.” That seems a bit contradictory … if not confusing.

So which was it?

Richardson was one of the most powerful and influential owners in the NFL, chairing the committee that chose Roger Goodell commissioner in 2006, serving on another that brought the Rams back to Los Angeles and acting as one of the NFL’s hard-line negotiators in 2011 labor talks.

But he also felt compelled to sell the franchise in 2018 after a Sports llustrated article revealed charges of racist and sexist remarks to team employees.

So maybe “loved and feared” is accurate?

“I think so,” Pat Yasinkas said on the latest “Eye Test for Two” podcast … and he should know. He was a beat reporter who covered Richardson and the Panthers from 1995-2008 and the NFC South from 200815 for ESPN.com.

“Everybody in that building was on their ‘tippy toes’ when they would get called into a personal meeting with him,” Yasinkas said. “A lot of people loved him, but a lot of people feared him. There’s no doubt about that. He was many things to many different people.”

Richardson was a hero to Carolinians when, in 1993, he paid $206 million to bring an NFL expansion franchise to Charlotte. There’s no doubt about that, either. A former pro player (Richardson played for the Baltimore Colts, catching a touchdown pass from John Unitas in the 1959 NFL championship game), he built the Panthers into such a successful franchise that, within two years of play, they were in the NFC championship game and, within nine years, in their first of two Super Bowls.

A reserved individual who, at one point, didn’t hold a news conference for nine years, Richardson nevertheless wielded considerable influence behind closed doors. In fact, Yasinkas – in whom Richardson had sufficient trust that he’d meet with him once a year – said that Richardson was behind one of the most important personnel decisions in the club’s history.

Rewind the tape to 2002 when the Panthers had the second overall pick in the NFL draft. Houston chose quarterback David Carr with the first. Then, it was Carolina’s turn: Would the Panthers choose pass rusher Julius Peppers or cornerback Quentin Jammer?

“They were looking at film of Quentin Jammer,” said Yasinkas, “and Jerry Richardson stood up and said, ‘Why are we looking at film of this guy? We’re taking Julius Peppers.’ Jerry’s word was the final say in that building.”

So the Panthers took Peppers, and the rest you know. He produced 159-1/2 career sacks, fourth-best in NFL history, and was named to six All-Pro teams, nine Pro Bowls and two all-decade teams. Moreover, he almost certainly becomes a first-ballot choice for the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame’s Class of 2024.

“Overall,” said Yasinkas, “I think (Richardson) was an excellent owner. He treated his players exceptionally well. I think that came from his background as a player. They had top-notch facilities, and he had that team in the conference champion game in his second year. And they did make two Super Bowls during his tenure.

“He did a lot of great things not only for the city of Charlotte but for the Carolinas, as well, for what was really a regional franchise. He made it a point to call that team the Carolina Panthers … not the Charlotte Panthers. He took great pride in doing that, and they drew a lot of fans from South Carolina and from the eastern part of North Carolina. They really got the Carolinas involved.”

Nevertheless, there’s that stain on his reputation, which not only led to a sale but provoked the club in 2020 to remove a statue of Richardson outside the stadium. The Panthers reportedly have no interest in restoring it.

So what is Jerry Richardson’s legacy? No question, he had a litany of accomplishments, including a $250-million donation to Wofford College, his alma mater. But there’s another, more difficult, side to the story, too, that can’t be ignored.

So what is his legacy with Panthers’ fans?

“I think the Carolinas are kind of torn,” said Yasinkas.

As proof, he mentioned two friends from Charlotte, both football fans, who moved to the Tampa Bay area. When he spoke with them about the former Carolina owner, he said they were “heartbroken that his legacy may go down as to what happened in the end” and that they remembered him as “a wonderful man who did many great things.”

And what about Yasinkas?

“I think his legacy is going to be very complicated,” he said, “and you have to take both sides into account … He was many different things on many different days.”