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, has died at the age of 78.
Buoniconti died Tuesday in Bridgehampton, New York, said Bruce Bobbins, a spokesman for the family. A cause of death was not immediately given.
Buoniconti was bypassed in the NFL draft but went on to a 15-year career. He helped the Dolphins win back-to-back Super Bowls, including the 1972 team that finished 17-0.
Following retirement, Buoniconti and his son, Marc, worked to raise more than a half-billion dollars in the search for a cure for paralysis.