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Nicholas “Nick” Costantino

Nicholas “Nick” Costantino

by | Feb 17, 2023

Nicholas C. Costantino, this year’s recipient of the Earle Y. Hannel Award, graduated from Bennett in 1962 and was awarded his Bachelor’s Degree from U.B. in 1967. Nick cherished the education he received from BHS, weaing our orange tiger logo in his lapel at all times. Football was his chosen sport and he played for the Tigers from 1959-1961. During his undergraduate years at U.B., Nick, the passionate football player, was a defensive end for the Lackawanna Lancers semi-professional football team.

Upon graduation from U.B., Nick entered the John Marshall Law School in Chicago and received his law degree in 1971. In his final year of law school, he taught science in a Chicago inner-city middle school.

Upon returning to Western New York, Nick began to work in the Erie County D.A.’s office in 1974 and was chief of the Major Violent Offense Bureau until 1985 when he ran for mayor of the city. He then entered private practice and, for more than 30 years, his office was located down the street from Bennett at Main and Fillmore. During this time, Nick was involved in the Butler Mitchell alumni, supporting youth activities on the West Side.

Along with being an honorary football coach for the Bennett Tigers under head coach Steve McDuffie, Nick was most active as a Board Member in our Alumni Association. He was a loyal Sports Hall of Fame Committee member and a valued participant on Bennett’s Redesign Team, which formed in 2014. His family stated, “Nick worked passionately with others to keep Bennett High open when it was in jeopardy of closing”. Nick also worked very hard to develop a weight room adjacent to the Gym so our students could properly exercise with modern equipment that was not present before its inception.

Nick’s wife Karen, daughter Nicole, sons Justin, Andrew, Eric and Nicholas, his 20 grandchildren and one great grandchild are extremely proud of Nick receiving this prestigious award posthumously.

And, on behalf of the entire Bennett Alumni Association family, we will miss you, Nick.

Sean D. Waller

Sean D. Waller

by | Feb 17, 2023

Sean D. Waller, a 1986 graduate of Bennett High School, was a highly talented athlete in three sports throughout his high school career—-Football, Track and Field and Basketball. He received All High Awards in football in 1985 and in Track and Field in 1985 and 1986. Bennett was the Harvard Cup Champion in 1985 and won the Track and Field Scalp and Blade Championship from 1983-1986. In addition, Sean was named All-Metro in Football in the National Inner-City Youth Organization.

After graduation from Bennett, Sean first attended ECC in 1987 where he was named All Conference and All American in Track and Field in the one-mile relay. He then enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University where he played football for 3 years. The team won the Ohio Valley Conference Championship in 1988 and 1990.

Sean graduated from college in 1990 and, soon thereafter, joined the Buffalo Police Department. He remained with the department until 2003 when he was forced to retire after getting injured in the line of duty. At that time, Sean returned to his first love, football, and became a coach at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi in the Big Sky Conference in 2005 and 2006.

Sean, the father of 5 children and 2 grandchildren, currently lives with his family in Franklin, Tennessee, which is outside of Nashville. He is working in sales and owns a food truck called Chat-Chow Snack Wagon.

Sean is absolutely thrilled to receive this prestigious award. He remarked, “Life is made up of many seasons and I credit all my seasons of life at Bennett making me into the man I have become.”