CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Jerry Richardson's nickname is "Big Cat" but no one associated with the Carolina Panthers, the team he founded and owns, would dare to call him anything but "Mr. Richardson".
Mick Mixon, the Panthers' play-by-play radio announcer, was warned about that on his very first day of work.
"I think even (NFL Commissioner) Roger Goodell calls him 'Mr. Richardson'," Mixon said.
His Panthers are favored to win their first Super Bowl in their 21st season but Richardson, a 79-year-old North Carolina native, rarely speaks or appears in public. He has declined interview requests, including one from Reuters.