Dear Fellow ’Canes:

Today we grieve the loss of University of Miami Trustee Nicholas Buoniconti, who was not only a renowned football legend but a tireless advocate for spinal cord injury research. From the moment his son and current University Trustee Marc Buoniconti was injured and paralyzed on a college football field in 1985, Nick made it his life’s work to support medical research for a cure to paralysis.

His work with Dr. Barth Green here at the U led to the founding of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, which has raised nearly half a billion dollars to improve outcomes for those suffering from spinal cord injuries. We cannot overstate the impact Nick Buoniconti’s generosity and visionary leadership have had on our community.

Please join me in expressing our deep condolences to the Buoniconti family and the team at The Miami Project as we celebrate the life of a man who embodied the very best of humanity and the kind of exemplary existence to which we all aspire.

Sincerely,