Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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12 PRESEASON 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Nick Buoniconti, Notre Dame's 1961 co- captain, All-American and later Pro Football Hall of Fame middle linebacker, died July 30 at age 78. Although labeled too undersized (5-11, 220 pounds) to play at the level he did, Buo- niconti willed himself to become a larger- than-life figure on and off the gridiron be- fore finally succumbing to recent battles with dementia and chronic traumatic en- cephalopathy (CTE). The Springfield, Mass., native matricu- lated to Notre Dame in 1958 and played his three varsity seasons (1959-61) under Joe Kuharich. As a junior for the 2-8 Fight- ing Irish in 1960, Buoniconti was second in tackles (71) to senior captain Myron Pottios, and also played guard on offense. The next season the Irish opened 3-0 with wins over Oklahoma, Purdue and USC to rise to No. 6 in the Associated Press poll, and later upset No. 10 Syracuse, before finish- ing 5-5. The guard/linebacker paced Notre Dame in stops (74) and earned first-team All-America notice from Football News and second-team accolades from UPI, Sporting News and the Football Coaches Association. Kuharich gave pro scouts a backhanded compliment about Buoniconti when he told them he would run through a wall but "just make a small hole." Buoniconti was bypassed in all 20 rounds of the 1962 NFL Draft, but was chosen by the Boston Patriots in the 13th round by the new, upstart AFL, where he played through 1968 before getting traded to the Miami Dolphins. By then, he also had earned his law degree from Suffolk University and temporarily "retired" before the 1969 season when Dolphins owner Joe Rob- bie did not give him the three-year contract he stipulated. Eventually, Robbie relented in one of the best moves in franchise history. During his 15-year career from 1962-76 in which he played 183 games, Buoniconti was exceptional against the run and pass (32 career intercep- tions), and was selected to the All-Time AFL Team (six-time All-AFL pick). After the leagues merged in 1970, he made the Pro Bowl for Miami in 1972 and 1973 — when the Dolphins were Super Bowl champs with 17-0 (still the lone unbeaten team in NFL history) and 15-2 records — and was the leader of the vaunted "No Name" defense that earned him enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001. In Blue & Gold Illustrated's countdown of the greatest Notre Dame overachievers in NFL history based on their draft status and production, Buoniconti was No. 1. Beyond football, the once-practicing at- torney Buoniconti also became an agent for 30-plus professional athletes, was president of the United States Tobacco Company, ap- peared in Miller Lite "Do you know me?" television ads, and was a co-host of the HBO series Inside the NFL until 2001. Yet his greatest legacy came as the driv- ing force behind the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, after son Marc became a quad- riplegic from a hit suffered during a 1985 game in which he played for The Citadel. The elder Buoniconti raised approximately a half-billion dollars for medical research, and the duo was 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 a statement after his father's death, calling him his hero. "He made a promise to me that turned into a revolu- tion 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." In May 2017, Buoniconti revealed he was suffering from memory loss and numerous neurological issues, and on Nov. 3 of that same year announced he would donate his brain for CTE research. In March 2018, he joined former NFL stars Harry Carson and Phil Villapiano to support a parent initiative called Flag Football Under 14, which advises no tackle football under that age. — Lou Somogyi Buoniconti was a larger-than-life figure on and off the gridiron. The former Irish captain and All-American's greatest legacy is the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, which he founded after his son Marc's injury in 1985 and has since raised more than $500 million for medical research. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA MICHAEL BENNETT: 1950-2019 Longtime University of Notre Dame athletics photographer Michael Bennett died Aug. 5 at age 69 after a short bout with cancer. A mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Aug. 13 at Notre Dame's Sacred Heart Church. As a 16-year-old, the South Bend native Bennett already began serving as a stadium usher for the 1966 national champion football team and from then on knew he forever wanted an affiliation with the school. He did not attend the university, but demonstrated how a "Notre Dame Man" and the spirit the school imbues is not tied to whether you received a degree from the school. Under head coach Gerry Faust, Bennett received his first break as a photographer, and his photo of Allen Pinkett breaking free on a 76-yard touchdown run to help upset No. 1 Pitt in 1982 catapulted him into a permanent spot with the program through nearly the next four decades. His outstanding work prompted the university to award him an honorary monogram jacket in 2003. A gentle and selfless soul, Bennett was a great friend to Blue & Gold Illustrated through the years, often supplying needed photos on his own during critical deadlines. He was a man to emulate both professionally and personally in how he comported himself with confidence in his work but genuine humility in manner. Said Bennett years later: "A moment frozen in time — that's what a photograph can be. It can bring back memories and emotions long forgotten. So, if I can capture a moment in time to bring back a memory or stir up an emotion, then I hope I am contributing a very small part to the Notre Dame spirit — past, present and future. Thanks for my moment in time." — Lou Somogyi Bennett's memorable photographs captured the Notre Dame spirit at football games and other athletic events for nearly four decades. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA NICK BUONICONTI: 1940-2019