The best of luck: the beleaguered big cat finally catches a break, sparking a comeback that wins him Mover and Shaker of the Year.

• Author: Campbell, Spencer

People who know the majority owner of the Carolina Panthers describe him many ways. They call him hard-working, fair, compassionate, ambitious. Those virtues have taken Jerry Richardson far, but another trait, less vaunted but perhaps even more valuable, helped make him one of the most successful businessmen in the two Carolinas. As he himself once told a Sports Illustrated writer: "We're as lucky as a dog with two ... shut that tape recorder off for a minute." Good fortune had been his partner for nearly 50 years.

Then came 2010, when he seemingly couldn't--or wouldn't--buy a break. The year before, his sons had left their jobs as team and stadium presidents. Rumor was that he had fired them. After a 12-4 season in 2008, followed by an 8-8 one, his team was awful, stumbling toward the league's worst record and coming perilously close to losing its fan base. Many who had been in awe, almost worshipful, of the man they referred to as The Big Cat--or, more deferentially Mr. Richardson--called him cheap and greedy for raising ticket prices on a product that, frankly, stank. It that weren't enough, early 2011 would see him painted as a villain in the league's collective-bargaining battle after he reportedly antagonized players leading up to what threatened to be a lost season. If Lady Luck hadn't left him, she was surely stepping out.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Though he didn't explain it well--explaining himself has never been his strength--Richardson had a plan, already in motion but becoming apparent only after the lockout ended in July. He would invest heavily (about $300 million) in his team's core. Now, after being one of the most reviled men in the NFL, he and the Panthers are once again in favor. And with the new collective-bargaining agreement guaranteeing the league 10 years of labor peace, America's richest professional sport is positioned to rake in more revenue than ever. After such a monumental swing in his, the franchise's and the league's fortunes, Jerry Richardson is Business North Carolina's Mover and Shaker of the Year.

How much of this is due to his game plan is up for debate. Some of the players who got big contracts had limited impacts; a few were injured and didn't play much. But fortune had smiled once again on Richardson, this time in the form of a 22-year-old quarterback who would break records and bring back the fans. Truth be told, Richardson is not the hero of his own comeback. He got lucky, which for him was business as usual.

Born in Spring Hope 75 years ago, Jerome J. Richardson was raised in Fayetteville, the son of a father who was a barber and a mother who worked in a department store. He played college football at Wofford in Spartanburg, S.C., distinguishing himself as a receiver and twice being named to the Associated Press Little All-America team. Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 13th round of the 1958 draft, Richardson, despite his collegiate honors, was a long shot to make a team that featured two future NFL Hall of Fame wide receivers. Fortunately, he drew as a roommate Johnny Unitas, and the legendary quarterback took a shine to him. Neither liked to talk.

His main competitor for a roster spot was a former Michigan State player, and during the final preseason game, they rotated quarters. "I remember at halftime that John--and keep in mind we roomed together--asked me how 1 was doing, and 1 told him terrible," he told Sports Illustrated. 'The second half 1 caught something like seven passes. The next week, the other guy got cut. When 1 think about it, 1 might have gotten a little help. You have to have a little help sometimes, don't you think?"

He spent two unremarkable years with the Colts, catching 15 passes, but had received a $4,674 bonus...