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Tepper is looking into building a new practice facility near the North Carolina-South Carolina border, which likely ends Wofford College’s run as the team’s training camp home since the first season in 1995.
Richardson, a star receiver at Wofford College, didn’t have plans to move camp from the campus he completely revamped through millions in donations.
Tepper probably would remove the statue of Richardson that looms large at Bank of America Stadium if it wasn’t contractually required by the sale to stay there.
Vote of confidence
But where Tepper is like Richardson, is he already has won over a locker room that remained loyal to the 82-year-old founder even when the NFL was investigating and ultimately fined Richardson for sexual and workplace misconduct.
Tepper already has the seal of approval from star quarterback Cam Newton , who was one of Richardson’s biggest supporters.
“He’s been good,” Newton said of Tepper. “He was an open book for us, and that’s extremely important because it’s been a lot of unknowns for him just because he didn’t know.
“You see the team just sold for what it sold for and you’re like, ‘Geez.’ I think I’m up for an upgrade.”
Newton was kidding about the upgrade. At least the quarterback with an annual salary of $20.76 million appeared to be kidding.
But the impression Newton and others have gotten from Tepper has been positive.
“We like his personality,” said outside linebacker Thomas Davis , who made no secret about his loyalty to Richardson during the league’s investigation that concluded with a $2.75 million fine. “We think he’s going to be good for the Carolinas.
“He’s our owner now. We’re fully embracing him as a team. It’s all about competing and winning. He’s been cool.”
Richardson typically wore slacks and a dress shirt, sometimes a sports jacket and a tie to practice. He almost always arrived in a golf cart and stayed there throughout, carrying an air about him that demanded respect.
Tepper walks down the hill for training camp sessions just like the players and staff.
Almost everyone called Richardson “Mister” or “Mr. Richardson.” Tepper told Panthers.com reporter Bill Voth to “call me anything you like” when they began a golf cart ride around the Wofford campus at the start of camp.
Tepper even sang Elvis Presley’s 1956 hit “Heartbreak Hotel.”
He wasn’t bad, either.
“The biggest thing is you can tell he cares about us,” running back Christian McCaffrey said.
New era
This is a new era for Carolina, and Tepper appears to be the perfect fit to lead it. He’s forward-thinking and aggressive, whereas Richardson was a part of the league’s old guard. Tepper’s also not afraid to admit his knowledge of football isn’t on par with that of Richardson, who had been the only owner who played in the league. Tepper spends most practices in the ear of coach Ron Rivera and general manager Marty Hurney.
“Believe me, he’s been cool,” Rivera said.
Rivera likewise was a huge supporter of Richardson until the end. After a playoff-clinching win against Tampa Bay in December he broke down the team with a “Mr. Richardson” after a count of three, a move that raised eyebrows because of the serious allegations against Richardson.
“I can only speak for what he has been to me and the players,” Rivera said. “And that’s why I did it.”
But Rivera likes the sense of normalcy Tepper has brought to the organization, and much of that is because of Tepper’s personality.
Most of the changes have come on the business side. Tepper fired longtime team attorney Richard Thigpen and a few other employees shortly after completing the purchase, and chief operating officer Tina Becker resigned. Tepper’s shown complete confidence in Rivera and Hurney.
Tepper addressed the team prior to the first practice at camp and took questions, making players feel more at ease around him.
“It was really cool,” Rivera said. “He’s been a pretty normal guy, just being around him. He’s got the great sense of humor. He gives people the opportunity to do their job.”
‘Thoughtful guy’
Tepper hasn’t revealed his position to reporters on league issues, such as how to handle player protests during the national anthem. He hasn’t done interviews outside of a brief news conference in Atlanta when league owners unanimously approved him and in July when the sale was completed.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera says he’s a fan of the normalcy that new owner David Tepper has brought to the franchise. John Byrum/Icon Sportswire
He’s gathering the facts like he always has in business, and listening.
“I do know he’s a very thoughtful guy,” Davis said.
Wide receiver Torrey Smith , Carolina’s resident leader on social issues, is impressed with Tepper.
“One thing I’ve learned about him, that I have a lot of respect for him about is that he genuinely cares,” he said. “And what he doesn’t know, he’s willing to learn.”
That Tepper wasn’t born with a silver spoon, that he grew up in a middle-class family in Pittsburgh and worked his way to wealth, also impressed Smith.
Smith already has talked to Tepper about his support of the “Schools Not Prisons” movement and other social issues he plans to promote during the season.
Tepper endorses players being more involved in the community with schools and other issues.
“He’s seen a lot of things that guys are talking about,” Smith said. “He grew up in a world completely different. He wasn’t born a billionaire. He earned it, you know? So, he understands what it’s like [not to have money] based on where he went to school and how that environment was, how it was for his friends and his peers, so when he hears things, he’s not surprised by it or he’s seen it.
“That’s no disrespect to any other owners, but sometimes it’s harder to relate if you haven’t seen something. You’re only going by what someone tells you.”
‘Lively owner’
Rivera and Hurney are used to Newton dancing and interacting with the fans during practice at camp and during games. They got a kick out of watching Tepper’s reaction to the 2015 NFL MVP during the first practice when Newton took a box of Bojangles from a fan and again at the FanFest when Newton organized the crowd wave.
“One thing we did laugh about was the energy we got from the crowd and No. 1 [Newton],” Rivera said. “He kind of looked around and said, ‘You can see how much fun he has.'”
Tepper even attempted a little dance himself at the first practice.
The energy the new owner brings to an organization that was in somewhat of a state of disarray has been refreshing to players and coaches.
The natural fears that come with change have subsided and turned into positive energy. The biggest fear was that Tepper might move the team from Charlotte, which he assured from the outset was not in his plans.
You no longer hear players mentioning Richardson, whose statue still looms over the practice fields at Wofford. The tears that linebacker Luke Kuechly shed after a playoff loss at New Orleans because the team couldn’t send Richardson off with a Super Bowl title have turned to cheers for Tepper.
“I’m very excited in knowing we have a lively owner,” Newton said. “The first thing he says is he wants to win. That alone should get everybody excited.”
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