Football

Dolphins HOF linebacker Buoniconti dead at 78 — Pro Football Hall of Fame middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti, an undersized overachiever who helped lead the Miami Dolphins to the NFL’s only perfect season and became a leader in the effort to cure paralysis, has died at the age of 78. Buoniconti died Tuesday in Bridgehampton, New York, said Bruce Bobbins, a family spokesman. In recent years, Buoniconti struggled with symptoms of CTE, a degenerative brain disease associated with repeated blows to the head. He had recently battled pneumonia, Dolphins senior vice president Nat Moore said. The 5-11, 220-pound Buoniconti was bypassed in the NFL draft but went on to a 15-year career. He was captain of the Dolphins’ back-to-back Super Bowl champions, including the 1972 team that finished 17-0. Following retirement, Buoniconti and his son, Marc, worked to raise more than a half-billion dollars for paralysis research. The younger Buoniconti was paralyzed from the shoulders down making a tackle for The Citadel in 1985. Marc Buoniconti said his father was his biggest hero.

Michael Thomas agrees to new deal with Saints — The agent for New Orleans Saints leading receiver Michael Thomas says Thomas and the Saints have agreed on a new five-year, $100 million contract. Andrew Kessler of the agency Athletes First, who joined colleague David Mulugheta in negotiating the deal with the Saints, says the contract pays Thomas about $61 million in guaranteed salary and bonuses. The agreement brings to an end Thomas’ training camp holdout that spanned five practices. The Saints had a scheduled day off on Wednesday and Thomas was expected to rejoin practice on Thursday. Thomas has established himself as an elite receiver with 321 catches for 3,787 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons. Last season, Thomas ranked first in the NFL in catches with 125, sixth in yards receiving with 1,405 and tied for 10th with nine touchdowns. Following retirement, Buoniconti worked as an attorney, a broadcaster, as president of U.S. Tobacco and as an agent to such athletes as Bucky Dent and Andre Dawson. For 23 seasons he was co-host of the weekly sports show “Inside the NFL” on the HBO cable network.

LeSean McCoy pays officer $55,000 — Buffalo Bills running back, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, has paid $55,000 to a Philadelphia police officer following an arbitrator’s ruling that the player and another man injured the officer during a nightclub brawl more than three years ago. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the arbitrator’s ruling last month also ordered that a former college teammate of McCoy’s pay $55,000. Authorities said a fight over a champagne bottle at Recess Lounge in February 2016 led to one officer being punched and kicked, and he was left with a broken nose, broken ribs and other injuries. City and state prosecutors filed no charges. An attorney representing the defendants said McCoy “paid his portion, and it’s behind him, and we’re trying to keep it that way.” McCoy was unavailable for comment as he excused from practice at training camp on Wednesday for what coach Sean McDermott called a personal reason.

Swimming

Lochte returns from suspension — Olympic champion Ryan Lochte made an emphatic return to competition Wednesday, swimming the fourth-fastest time by an American in the 200-meter individual medley during a time trial in the U.S. national championships at Stanford University. “I’m back, woo!” Lochte proclaimed in his opening remarks on the pool deck at Avery Aquatic Center after qualifying for next year’s U.S. Olympic trials with the time of 1 minute, 57.88 seconds. “It’s been a long three years but it’s good to be back, get on those blocks and race again.” Lochte is entered in the 100 butterfly, 100 and 200 backstroke and 200 and 400 IM this week, though he hasn’t decided which events he will focus on for the Tokyo Olympics.

— From wire reports