He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 1985 NFL draft.

On January 1, 1985, Bono threw for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns on his way to Quarterbacking the Bruins to Victory in the 1985 Fiesta Bowl over Bernie Kosar and the Miami Hurricanes.

On June 13, 1989, Bono signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers where he remained for five seasons, his longest stay with one team in his career.

Prior to the 1994 season, the 49ers traded Bono to the Kansas City Chiefs, where once again he served as a backup to his former 49ers teammate Joe Montana.

On October 1, 1995, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals, Bono ran 76 yards for a touchdown, the longest scoring run by a quarterback in NFL history up to that time.

His son, Christoph, was the quarterback for the Palo Alto High School's football team and then played baseball for the UCLA Bruins.

An avid golfer, Bono held an annual golf event in the San Francisco area benefiting the National Kidney Foundation.