Dolphins Hall of Fame linebacker, captain of 17-0 team
MIAMI — Pro Football Hall of Fame middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti, an undersized overachiever who helped lead the Miami Dolphins to the NFL’s only perfect season and became a leader in the effort to cure paralysis, has died. He was 78.
Mr. Buoniconti, who died Tuesday in Bridgehampton, New York, struggled in recent years with symptoms of CTE, a degenerative brain disease associated with repeated blows to the head. He had recently battled pneumonia, Dolphins senior vice president Nat Moore said.
The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Mr. Buoniconti was bypassed in the NFL draft but went on to a 15-year career. He was captain of the Dolphins’ back-to-back Super Bowl champions, including the 1972 team that finished 17-0.
Following retirement, Mr. Buoniconti and his son, Marc, worked to raise more than a half-billion dollars for paralysis research. The younger Buoniconti was paralyzed from the shoulders down making a tackle for The Citadel in 1985.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Mr. Buoniconti was a champion on and off the field.
“He was the leader of one of the most dominant NFL teams in history and earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with his grit, fearlessness and skill while playing with the Patriots and Dolphins,” Goodell said.
A native of Springfield, Massachusetts, Mr. Buoniconti played guard on offense and linebacker on defense for Notre Dame. He was small for a pro linebacker, but after being taken in the 13th round by the Boston Patriots of the upstart AFL, he played for them from 1962 to 1968.
He made the AFL All-Star Game six times and had 24 career interceptions for the Patriots, including three in a single game in 1968.
Mr. Buoniconti played for the Dolphins from 1969 to 1974 and in 1976. He was the leader of Miami’s famed “No-Name Defense” and in 1973 set a team record with 162 tackles. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
“He was the consummate team captain, the heartbeat of our team,” Hall of Fame fullback Larry Csonka said. “I’ll miss Nick, his wisdom and class.”