David White, who parlayed versatility and athletic excellence into team championships and record performances for Bennett, won the 1969-70 Buffalo Public High Schools Billy Kelly Award. This award is presented annually to the outstanding senior athlete, citizen, and scholar in the Buffalo Public Schools, named in memory of the late Courier-Express sports editor.
In three years of varsity competition, David earned three major letters in track and two each in football and basketball. He served as team captain in all three sports his senior year. White, a southpaw quarterback, led the Tigers to the Harvard Cup football title in 1968. In two seasons with David as signal caller, Bennett won 13 out of 14 games.
Bennett won the Scalp and Blade track championship in White’s last two seasons and notched 32 wins in 33 dual meets in three campaigns. A superior sprinter, White anchored Bennett’s 880 relay team to a city record of 3:41.6 as a sophomore. In his junior year, David ran a :22 in the 220 yard dash in the All-High meet. This set a new Scalp and Blade record that would stand for 12 years. In dual meets David was unbeaten as a junior and senior in the 220 and logged a perfect campaign in the 100 his senior year. As a relay anchor and sprinter, White’s performances earned an equivalent All-High rating six times.
A starting basketball guard for two seasons, White averaged in double figures as a senior and was the team’s second leading scorer.
“David is a young man with a lot of ability and he got the most out of it by hard training and determination,” said Gerry Berkman, Bennett’s physical education instructor and coach. David went on to the University of Ottawa and starred on their 1975 National Championship football team. Following the University of Ottawa, David played in the National Football League with the Baltimore Colts and Green Bay Packers.
He currently resides in Buffalo with his wife Winsome and son David, who played on the 2001 Bennett football team.