Tough topic

News of Buoniconti’s health affects Dolphins deeply.

MIAMI — Dan Marino and Kim Bokamper don’t often discuss dementia or brainrelated ailments when they get together with former Miami Dolphins teammates, such as they did Wednesday at the Don Strock Diabetes Golf Classic at Miccosukee Golf & Country Club.

“I don’t talk about it much. … We’ll all go through it at some point sooner or later,” Marino said. “You don’t want it to be sooner.”

Even though such topics don’t make for popular conversation, many ex-Dolphins are aware of situations such as Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti’s, which was documented by Sports Illustrated this week.

“I knew Nick’s health was declining,” Bokamper said. “I’d heard whispers, and then I ran into Marc [Nick’s son] at an event last year and I asked him how Nick was doing and he said he’s not doing very well.

“So I kind of knew where it was going. So when the article came out it was more of a confirmation, but it certainly didn’t surprise me, unfortunately.”

Sports Illustrated detailed the declining health of Buoniconti and ex-Dolphins running back Jim Kiick. Buoniconti, 75, spoke about feeling lost and not being able to complete routine daily tasks. Kiick, 70, was placed in an assisted living center last year because he was unable to care for himself and was living in squalor, his family revealed.

Both were diagnosed with dementia and have shown symptoms of chronic traumatic

encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative disease found in people who have suffered repeated blows to the head. (A definitive diagnosis of CTE cannot be made until the brain is examined after death.)

Marino said he’s aware of football being linked to those conditions, but the Hall of Fame quarterback said he probably still would have chosen to play if he had been better educated about the sport’s possible dangers years ago.

“I think I would have played regardless,” said Marino, 55. “I just, the way you’re made up as a player, you love the game. But you do have concerns.

“I obviously think about that. Will I have concerns later in life? Will I have issues? But at this point there’s not a lot you can do about it so you just accept what’s there in your life.”

Still, Marino was surprised to learn Buoniconti’s health was declining.

“I worked with him on HBO for, I think it was like six years, and he was always just a first-class guy and the best,” Marino said. “And you wish nothing but the best for him. It’s sad to see.”

Strock, a Dolphins quarterback from 1973-87, and head coach at Florida International University from 2002-06, said he plans to go through early detection testing soon. He thinks he’ll be OK.

“I’m hoping so,” said Strock, 66. “I think we all hope so, but it’s always good to make sure to get the testing done and make sure everything is fine.”

Strock’s golf tournament, which has been going since 1983, has raised thousands of dollars and possibly helped a similar amount of people with diabetes. He’s known some of the beneficiaries for two decades or more.

“It’s rewarding to see those people who are doing well,” he said. “We follow up with them, make sure they’re doing good.”

Eddie Hill, the former Miami Dolphins running back (1981-84), was in attendance Wednesday and said he’s doing well now. Hill, 59, has been battling brain cancer but said it’s in remission. He’s also had both knees replaced. On top of that, he said he thinks he might be showing signs of CTE.

“I’m probably dealing with some of that,” said Hill, whose son, Quadrine, was a running back for the University of Miami.

Hill said even if he learned he had early signs of CTE he wouldn’t regret playing football because it gave him a purpose in life.

“Every life has a purpose, and football was one of those biblical, scriptural things that I learned early in life that applied to me, the gift,” he said. “And recently, in the last 10-15 years, I’ve learned that purpose and I live that purpose.”

Nat Moore, the former Dolphins wide receiver who is now the team’s senior vice president of special projects and alumni relations, said the franchise keeps its door open for players who might have cognitive issues.

“Even when you look at Nick, you look Jimmy Kiick, etc. … whenever they needed help, when they were trying to access the right people to get it done, we’ve always been there,” Moore said. “We will always be there. That’s part of what I do.”

Still, it’s not a topic many players want to discuss.

“I had a friend of mine that I played with that was in town,” Bokamper said, “stayed with me for four or five days a couple of months ago. He played in the NFL and he was consumed with [head injuries]. Every time he would hesitate he’d go, ‘Oh, there it goes again.’

“I just don’t want to live my life like that,” Bokamper continued. “I’m just going to live my life and deal with what happens down the road. …”

Bokamper