Panthers Founder, Former Owner Jerry Richardson Dies at 86

Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson speaks during a news conference for the NFL football team in Charlotte, N.C., on Jan. 15, 2013. Chuck Burton/AP Photo

CHARLOTTE, N.C—Jerry Richardson, the Carolina Panthers founder and for years one of the NFL’s most influential owners until a scandal forced him to sell the team, has died. He was 86.

Richardson died peacefully Wednesday night at his Charlotte home, the team said in a statement.