On Saturday, former New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law will join his fellow franchise greats in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One of them is linebacker Nick Buoniconti, who started his career when the team was still calling Boston its home. Today, at the age of 78, Buoniconti has passed away.
Buoniconti, a member of the Patriots’ 50th anniversary team and team Hall of Fame, played seven seasons for the organization when it was still competing in the upstart American Football League. Between 1962, when he was drafted in the 13th round, and 1968, he appeared in 93 games for the team and was the heart of the its defense — all while being voted AFL all-star (the equivalent of today’s Pro Bowl) five times.