Nick Buoniconti obit

Miami Dolphins' Hall of Fame Linebacker Nick Buoniconti Dead at 78: 'The Heartbeat of Our Team'

He was not on the list.

Nick Buoniconti, the Miami Dolphins Hall of Famer who helped lead the NFL team to back-to-back Super Bowl championships, has died. He was 78.

The tragic news was confirmed by a number of Nick’s loved ones, including his family spokesman Bruce Bobbins, who told ESPN that the former linebacker died on Tuesday in Bridgehampton, New York.

Nick’s cause of death was not immediately known but comes a little over two years after he revealed that he was suffering from memory loss, among other ailments, and could no longer use his left hand, according to ESPN.

His son Marc Buoniconti — who was paralyzed at the age of 19 from football, leading Nick to develop the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, which he helped raise millions of dollars for — also issued a statement to ESPN and praised his father for his talents on and off the field.

“Today, with a heavy heart and profound sorrow, my family and the entire Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and Buoniconti Fund community mourn the loss of a man who was truly larger than life, my father, NFL Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti,” Marc, 52, told the outlet.

“My dad has been my hero and represents what I have always aspired to be: a leader, a mentor and a champion,” he added.

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Nick was always considered an undersized player at 5’11” and 220 pounds, but didn’t let that stop him from playing offensive guard and defensive linebacker at Notre Dame, according to his bio on the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Though he wasn’t immediately drafted by the NFL, the Boston Patriots (who changed their name to the New England Patriots in 1971 after relocating to Foxborough, MA) eventually selected Nick to be on their team in the 13th round of the 1962 American Football League (AFL) draft.

From 1962 to 1968, Nick played as a middle linebacker for the Patriots and racked up a number of accomplishments, including 24 career interceptions — three of those occurred during a game in 1968 — which remains ranked as seventh in team history.

During his time on the Patriots, he was also named to the AFL All-Star Game five times and helped the team win the 1963 AFL Eastern Division title, according to his bio.


In 1969, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins but remained a driving force on their team’s defense, as well, earning team MVP in his debut season and two more times in 1970 and 1973.

Most notably, he helped lead the team to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1973 — a team that finished with an unprecedented and undefeated 17-0 record on the season — and 1974.

In 2001, the NFL player, who competed for a total of 14 seasons, was inducted to the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

Following his days on the field, Nick spent his time raising his children, working as a broadcaster, businessman, and attorney, and dedicating his efforts to charitable causes, including the paralysis fund he co-founded in 1985, ESPN reports.

Some of his notable teammates, coaches, managers and club owners include: Billy Sullivan, Tom Addison, Fred Bruney, Larry Eisenhauer, Jim Colclough, Dick Felt, Charlie Long, Art Spinney, Mike Holovak, Larry Garron, Babe Parilli, Houston Antwine, Gino Cappelletti, Ron Hall, Billy Neighbors, Bob Dee, Jon Morris, Jim Nance, Chuck Shonta, Tom Neville, Jim Lee Hunt, Len St. Jean, Don Oakes, Jim Whalen, Leroy Mitchell, Mike Taliaferro, Art Graham, Don Webb, George Wilson, Bill Stanfill, Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, Joe Robbie, Don Shula, Tim Foley, Joe Thomas, Paul Warfield, Mercury Morris, Jim Langer, Marv Fleming, Jake Scott, Garo Yepremian, Larry Little, Norm Evans, Dick Anderson, Earl Morrall, Marlin Bricsoe, Leon Gray, Ed Newman, Bill Arnsparger, Manny Fernandez, Bob Kuechenberg, Don Strock, Vern Den Herder, Mike Robbie, Nat Moore, Bob Matheson, Wayne Moore, Bobby Beathard, Tom Keane, Irv Goode, Kim Bokamper, Howard Schnellenberger, Freddie Solomon, Mike Scarry and Vince Costello.