Nick Buoniconti was a champion. An undersized linebacker, he played a pivotal role on the infamous “No Name” defense of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. But it was his work that followed his illustrious 15-year career in the NFL that embodied Buoniconti’s championship character.
After his son, Marc, got paralyzed from the shoulders-down while playing football at the Citadel, Nick decided something needed to be done. He and Marc founded the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, raising more than a half-billion dollars towards paralysis research.
It is why Mr. Buoniconti’s passing on Wednesday left a void not just in the football world but also in the area of philanthropy.
“He could have been sitting on the beach sipping champagne for the rest of his life,” Marc Buoniconti said in 2017. “But what did he do? He went around and gave the rest of his life to help his son.”
Nick Buoniconti Beat Odds, Proved Doubters Wrong
Football provides a gateway to lifelong opportunities and financial security. For Nick Buoniconti, a chance to elevate out of the humble beginnings in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Born and raised a Catholic, Buoniconti played high school football at Cathedral High School. He would then commit to playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
As a senior, he led the team with 74 tackles as a co-captain, making him the only Notre Dame player to be anointed All-American status.
But despite a successful college career, scouts still doubted Buoniconti. At 5 foot 11, he was considered very undersized for the linebacker position. For Buoniconti’s lack of size, he made it up in toughness, grit, and determination.
Selected 102nd in the AFL Draft to the Boston Patriots, Buoniconti was out to prove the doubters wrong. In his time with the Patriots, Buoniconti was a five-time AFL All-Star and five-time First-Team All-AFL. His tenure with Boston would be cut short due to a trade that sent Buoniconti to the Miami Dolphins, to play alongside Hall of Fame coach Don Shula and players Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, and Paul Warfield.
The chip on Nick Buoniconti’s shoulder intensified after the trade. He was eager to show why Boston should have never let him go. Known as the “No Name” defense, Buoniconti became the anchor and focal point. He embodied the physicality and determination to lift the Dolphins to back to back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973.
For his career, Buoniconti would finish with 32 interceptions, the third most for a linebacker in NFL history. It was his inspiring leadership, coupled with generational talent, that got Buoniconti enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Where his legacy will live on well beyond his passing.
“He was the consummate team captain, the heartbeat of our team,” stated Csonka. “Because of Nick, the world is a much better place.”
Buoniconti’s Philanthropic Efforts Define Post NFL Life
After retiring from pro football, Buoniconti could be seen broadcasting with former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson on HBO for “Inside the NFL.” He was also involved in various business ventures, including representing players as an agent. But it was his philanthropic initiatives that defined his post-NFL life.
When his son, Marc, became a quadriplegic as a result of football, it changed Nick’s outlook. The game he loved, that game him everything, also took away the basic necessities of life from his son. Hence the reason Nick Buoniconti spent the rest of his life giving back to help people with paralysis.
Nick and Marc Buoniconti would Champion the cause of finding a cure for paralysis. They founded the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis in Miami, which is now the largest spinal cord injury research Center in the world. It has raised over $459 million and includes more than 250 researchers, clinicians, and scientists, eager than ever to continue to find a cure.
Despite the altruistic efforts, it did not take away the painful reality that Buoniconti’s son couldn’t walk again. Or that the game of football would begin to hinder the quality of life for the Hall of Fame linebacker.
Towards the latter years of his life, Buoniconti began to experience jumbled thoughts and persistent headaches. Simple tasks became inexorable obstacles, including the ability to remember.
“Everything is jumbled for me. It’s just not possible for me to do it without stumbling,” Buoniconti stated.
Nick Buoniconti Sacrificed Well Being for Stellar Football Career
All signs pointed to Buoniconti having CTE, the neurodegenerative disease that has affected 110 NFL players. The constant head trauma that the Dolphins star linebacker experienced every game demonstrates the sacrifice he made to play this physical game.
Upon his death, Buoniconti’s brain was donated for further CTE research. As scientific research has advanced on this disease, the evidence reflects the painful mental health realities that players live with on a daily basis. And with the NFL not providing sufficient resources to former players suffering from CTE, more lives will end up similarly to Nick Buoniconti.
As the football world congregates in Canton, Ohio this weekend to enshrine the 2019 Hall of Fame class, there will also be a period of remembrance for an NFL legend. Nick Buoniconti was a warrior on the field. He was a philanthropist off the field. And he paid the ultimate sacrifice by risking his well being in order to play the game he loved.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
