Nick Buoniconti was lightly regarded by pro scouts despite being the captain of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They viewed him too small, and nobody in the NFL selected him in the 1962 Draft.  The Boston Patriots did, with their 13^thRound Pick, but little was expected of him.  As we know, this wasn’t the case.

After a spectacular seven-year run with the Boston Patriots where he was a four-time First Team All-Pro, Nick Buoniconti was traded to the Miami Dolphins after the 1968 season.

It is a sad day in the world of the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins as it was announced that former Linebacker, Nick Buoniconti, passed away today at the age of 78.

The undersized Linebacker was drafted in the 13^thRound out of Notre Dame by the Boston Patriots in 1962, where he would be a five-time AFL All-Star for the Pats.  He would be traded to the Miami Dolphins in 1969 where he would anchor their “No-Name Defense” and help them win Super Bowl VII and VIII.  He would be named to two Pro Bowls as a Dolphin.

Buoniconti would be chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, fans and family of Nick Buoniconti.