Dale Laverne Gentry (July 2, 1917 – June 27, 1968) was an American football end.[1]

Dale Gentry
refer to caption
Gentry, circa 1942
Personal information
Born:(1917-07-02)July 2, 1917
Umapine, Oregon, U.S.
Died:June 27, 1968(1968-06-27) (aged 50)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:223 lb (101 kg)
Career information
High school:Walla Walla (WA)
College:Washington State
Position:End
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Player stats at PFR

Born in Umapine, Oregon, Gentry graduated from Walla Walla High School in Walla Walla, Washington. He played college football at Washington State College in Pullman under head coach Babe Hollingbery,[2] and was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team end on the All-Pacific Coast team in 1941. Gentry also played baseball and basketball for the Cougars.[1][3]

He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II,[3] and played on the Saint Mary's Pre-Flight Air Devils football team.[1]

Gentry played professional football in the All-America Football Conference for the Los Angeles Dons from 1946 to 1948. He appeared in 42 games, 27 as a starter, and caught 74 passes for 1,001 yards and five touchdowns.[2] He also played professional basketball with the Spokane Blazers of the Pacific Coast Basketball League.[3] Gentry was an assistant at his alma mater under head coach Al Kircher in the 1950s,[4] and later the athletic director at the state penitentiary in Walla Walla.[1]

Gentry died at age 50 in Portland, Oregon, from a heart attack, one day after his teenage son was killed in an automobile accident.[1][3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Dale Gentry dies at 50". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). June 28, 1968. p. 15.
  2. ^ a b "Dale Gentry Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "Dale Gentry". Peach Basket Society. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  4. ^ "Ready for work". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). (photos). September 1, 1954. p. 21.