Wofford College Athletics

Any tribute to the life and accomplishments of Jerry Richardson must include a strong emphasis on the word “teamwork.”  Along every step of Richardson’s remarkable journey, he has relied on and been tremendously supported by a faithful group surrounding him, including family, coaches, teammates, business associates, and a close circle of personal friends for a lifetime.  A large number of those connections are tied back to Wofford College, and for many years, Richardson has been quick to say that “without Wofford’s influence on my life, I would not have been able to accomplish what I have.”

Jerry Richardson was born in July 1936 in Spring Hope, North Carolina, as an only child to George Bertram Richardson and Mary Williams Richardson, but really considers nearby Fayetteville as his hometown.  There he became a star athlete at Fayetteville High School, befriended six men who would be lifelong friends, and was coached and mentored by Bob Prevatte, a 1950 Wofford graduate, whose influence on young Richardson would be profound.

Upon graduating from Fayetteville High in 1954, Richardson accepted a $250 scholarship to Wofford College to play football, where his tireless work ethic and physical talent quickly caught the attention of Terrier coaches and fans.  When quarterback Charlie Bradshaw transferred to Wofford from the University of Georgia in the fall of 1956, the two formed a highly successful quarterback-receiver duo that would propel them beyond the gridiron and into acclaimed business success as well.

As a Wofford student-athlete, Richardson was selected to membership in Blue Key National Honor Fraternity and Scabbard and Blade, was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity and chaired the Interfraternity Council as well as being selected to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. Richardson earned All-America honors and attracted enough attention from pro scouts to be drafted by the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League prior to his senior season at Wofford, at which time he was Terrier team captain.  He is the only Wofford graduate ever to move successfully into the NFL, enjoying two noteworthy seasons with the Colts and was named that franchise’s “Rookie of the Year” in 1959.  He caught a game clinching touchdown pass in that season’s championship game in which the victorious Colts became World Champions. 

By that time, Richardson had married his college sweetheart, Rosalind Sallenger of Florence, SC, and they were beginning to start their family, which ultimately would comprise sons Jon and Mark, and daughter Ashley.  He made the decision not to return to the Colts for the 1960 season, choosing instead to join forces and invest his NFL championship bonus check with Bradshaw, who had just a few months earlier signed an agreement to open in Spartanburg the first franchise of Hardee’s Food Systems of Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  Their first Hardee’s franchise opened on Kennedy Street in Spartanburg in October 1961, and a new company they named Spartan Food Systems was born.  Over time, Richardson and Bradshaw recruited into their company a significant number of Wofford friends, former teammates and coaches, building a legendary team driven to be highly successful. 

Early on, the company enjoyed meteoric success in the highly competitive restaurant business.  Taking the company public in 1969, the team that Richardson and Bradshaw had formed was able to have their firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange before turning age 40, which had been an initial goal.  The company grew into a Fortune 500 stalwart, with over 110,000 employees and interests in more than 2,500 restaurants and other holdings.

With their phenomenal success came opportunities to expand the company, so they acquired the Quincy’s steakhouse chain in 1977, before joining forces with TW Corporation, a spinoff from Trans World Airlines.  Eventually, under Richardson’s leadership, this new company included Canteen Corporation and the Denny’s restaurant chain.  Richardson was among the early pioneers in leading the redevelopment of downtown Spartanburg, notably announcing plans in 1988 to construct a $25 million, 18-story headquarters building and downtown park that opened in 1990 in the city’s struggling central business district. 

In 1993, a career-long dream on which Richardson had been actively working for seven years was realized when the investment team that he had put together was successful in earning—by a unanimous vote of the NFL owners—the 29th franchise of the NFL—the Carolina Panthers, to be headquartered in Charlotte.  Richardson became the first former NFL player to become an owner since George Halas of the Chicago Bears.  Vital to Richardson’s dream was for the franchise to be truly regionally supported, and central to that goal was to have the team’s summer preseason training camp to be located on this campus of his alma mater, Wofford College, in Spartanburg.  Of course, the dream came true, and the Panthers recently completed their 17th camp at Wofford.  In the NFL, the Panthers are considered one of the league’s most successful franchises, and Richardson is one of the league’s most well-respected and widely sought-after owners.

His service to Wofford has been never-ending.  Currently, Richardson is in the middle of the third twelve-year term he has served on the Wofford Board of Trustees.  He has been a major benefactor to every significant financial campaign at the college since graduating in 1959, and he and his family have established the most prestigious scholarships offered by the college, known as the Richardson Family Scholarships.  Students who have received the Richardson are considered nearly members of the Richardson family, and their track record as students and alumni bespeaks the example that Richardson set for them to follow.  Richardson and his family are also major regional philanthropists, more often than not doing big things quietly and with little fanfare.

The recognitions that Richardson has earned are numerous, but would include the Order of the Palmetto and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which are the two highest civic recognitions that the states of South Carolina and North Carolina, respectively, can bestow.  He is also the only individual ever to be inducted into both the Business and Athletic Halls of Fame for these two states!

While Jerry Richardson’s off-field records of service, leadership, and generosity over the past fifty-two years keep piling up – to the benefit and enhancement of Wofford and the Carolinas - that is not why we honor him today.  We honor him today for his accomplishments on the field.  The three-time All-South Carolina, and two-time All-American, still holds school records for career touchdown receptions with 21, season touchdown receptions with 9, and most receiving yards in a game with 241.

The mark of greatness is being able to withstand the test of time.  Jerry Richardson’s accomplishments have done so for 52 years. It is therefore entirely fitting and proper today that we pay tribute to him by retiring his jersey number “51”, as he truly has established a record that will not be equaled.