Hall of Fame Professional Football Player. He played the linebacker position for both the Boston Patriots and the Miami Dolphins of both the American and National Football Leagues during a fourteen year career (1962-1974, 1976). Born Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti, he played football collegiately at the University of Notre Dame, where he was a second team All-American in 1961. He was drafted by the Boston Patriots in the 13th round of the 1962 American Football League draft and played for the Patriots for the seven seasons before being traded to the Miami Dolphins in 1969. While with the Patriots, he helped them win the 1963 AFL Eastern Division title and played in five AFL All-Star Games. He was also named first-team All-AFL four times and second-team All-AFL three times. He went on to become a cornerstone of the vaunted Dolphin "No-Name" Defense for seven seasons and helped his team to two Super Bowl wins (VII and VIII). In 1973, he recorded a then-team record of 162 tackles. He also played in the Pro Bowl twice and was a two-time Second-team All-Pro (both in 1972 and 1973). He retired after the 1976 season with an unofficial total of 24 sacks. During his tenure with the Patriots, he earned his law degree and went on to represent numerous professional athletes as an agent. He also was president of the United States Tobacco Company during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He appeared on television, both on commercials and as a co-host of HBO's Inside the NFL from 1977 to 2001. That same year, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also was enshrined into both the New England Patriots Hall of Fame and the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll. His son Marc was paralyzed while playing football.