Pro Football Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti has died at the age of 78, according to his son Marc.
“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 Buoniconti said in a statement. “My dad has been my hero and represents what I have always aspired to be; a leader, a mentor and a champion.
Family spokesman Bruce Bobbins said Buoniconti died Tuesday in Bridgehampton, New York. A cause of death wasn’t immediately known.
Nick Buoniconti was an eight-time Pro Bowler at linebacker over 14 NFL seasons with the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins. He won Super Bowl titles in 1972 and 1973 with the Dolphins and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Nick Buoniconti. pic.twitter.com/kcgtLRWzo7
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) July 31, 2019
He said in November 2017 that he would donate his brain for CTE research. He revealed in May of that year that he was suffering from memory loss, could not use his left hand and struggled to put on a shirt, among other ailments.
After his son Marc was paralyzed at age 19 while playing football, Nick Buoniconti was a driving force behind the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, raising hundreds of millions of dollars for research. Nick and Marc were on a Wheaties box in 1997 as part of the Miami Project.
“He selflessly gave all to football, to his family and to those who are less fortunate,” Marc Buoniconti said in his statement. “He made a promise to me that turned into a revolution in paralysis research. We can best honor his dedication and endless commitment by continuing with our work until that promise is fulfilled and a cure is found,”
Nick Buoniconti also had a successful post-football career in broadcasting and business.