 Gentry, circa 1942 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | July 2, 1917 Umapine, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died: | June 27, 1968 (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 | |
| |
| Player stats at PFR | |
Dale Laverne Gentry (July 2, 1917 – June 27, 1968) was an American football end.[1]
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]