[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 185 (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6675-S6676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 434--HONORING THE LIFE OF NICHOLAS ANTHONY BUONICONTI

  Mr. RUBIO (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Scott of 
Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

                              S. Res. 434

       Whereas Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``Nick Buoniconti'') passed away at his home in 
     Bridgehampton, New York, on July 30, 2019;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti was born on December 15, 1940, in 
     Springfield, Massachusetts;
       Whereas the parents of Nick Buoniconti, Nicholas Buoniconti 
     Sr. and Pasqualina (Mercolino) Buoniconti, contributed 
     greatly to the Springfield community and ran an Italian 
     bakery named Mercolino's in the South End neighborhood of the 
     city;
       Whereas the brother of Nick Buoniconti, Peter Buoniconti, 
     remembers him as the best athlete and the smartest and 
     toughest kid in the South End;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti played guard on offense and 
     linebacker on defense for the football team of the University 
     of Notre Dame and graduated from the university in 1962;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti was chosen in the 13th round of the 
     1962 American Football League (referred to in this preamble 
     as the ``AFL'') draft by the Boston Patriots;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti played for the Patriots from 1962 
     until 1968;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti appeared in 5 AFL All-Star games 
     and made 24 interceptions during his time with the Patriots;
       Whereas, in 1968, Nick Buoniconti earned his juris doctor 
     from Suffolk University Law School in Boston and was a member 
     of both the Florida Bar and the Massachusetts Bar;
       Whereas, in 1969, Nick Buoniconti was traded to the Miami 
     Dolphins, for whom he played until 1976;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti was the captain of the back-to-back 
     Super Bowl Championship teams of the Dolphins, including the 
     undefeated 1972 team;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti earned the Most Valuable Player 
     title of the Dolphins 3 times during his career with the 
     team;
       Whereas, in 7 seasons with the Dolphins, Nick Buoniconti 
     earned 3 Pro Bowl berths and advanced to 3 straight Super 
     Bowl appearances, winning 2 of them;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti was inducted into the National 
     Football League (referred to in this preamble as the ``NFL'') 
     Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001 for his years as a middle 
     linebacker with the Patriots and the Dolphins;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti served as an agent to professional 
     athletes and, for 23 seasons, co-hosted the weekly sports 
     show ``Inside the NFL'';
       Whereas, on September 8, 2019, the Dolphins honored the 
     passing of Nick Buoniconti by wearing a helmet sticker with 
     his initials, ``NAB'', during the regular season opener of 
     the team;
       Whereas current NFL commissioner Roger Goodell praised Nick 
     Buoniconti for his grit, fearlessness, and skill while 
     playing with the Patriots and the Dolphins;

[[Page S6676]]

       Whereas Nick Buoniconti consistently advocated and fought 
     for the health and safety of other NFL players;
       Whereas, in 1985, the beloved son of Nick Buoniconti, Marc 
     Buoniconti, became a quadriplegic after suffering a spinal 
     cord injury while playing college football;
       Whereas Nick and Marc Buoniconti were among the co-founders 
     of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of 
     Miami Miller School of Medicine, a leading research center 
     for spinal cord and brain injuries;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti founded The Buoniconti Fund, which 
     has raised more than $500,000,000 to fund the mission of the 
     Miami Project to find a cure for paralysis resulting from 
     spinal cord injury;
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti donated his brain to the Chronic 
     Traumatic Encephalopathy (referred to in this preamble as 
     ``CTE'') Center of Boston University and the Concussion 
     Legacy Foundation;
       Whereas, upon making the decision to donate his brain, Nick 
     Buoniconti expressed his hope for a better understanding of 
     the long-term effects of CTE and other brain injuries that 
     impact thousands of individuals each year; and
       Whereas Nick Buoniconti served on the Board of Trustees of 
     the University of Miami for 27 years and received the Man of 
     the Year ``Helping Hands Award'' from the Miller School of 
     Medicine: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family, 
     friends, and teammates of Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti 
     (referred to in this resolving clause as ``Nicholas 
     Buoniconti'');
       (2) honors the life and legacy of Nicholas Buoniconti; and
       (3) expresses appreciation for the fight of Nicholas 
     Buoniconti both on and off the field.

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