Drew Gentry seemed
destined for a career on the basketball court as a child growing up in
the hoops-crazy state of Indiana.
“I started playing
basketball in kindergarten,'' Gentry said. “The doctors told us at that
time I was going to be 7-foot-2. By the third grade they (doctors) said
I'd be 6-11, and in the sixth grade they said I'd be 6-8.''
Gentry has settled instead
for a “smaller'' 6-foot-7, 300-pound frame and stardom on the football
field.
For the past three
seasons, Gentry has been part of the varsity squad at Maclay School in
Tallahassee, FL, where he now resides. He transferred to North Florida
Christian School in January where he'll be a starter at offensive tackle
next fall on a squad that features “seven or eight'' major-college
prospects, according to head coach Tim Cokely.
Gentry became part of the
latter on April 20 when he accepted a scholarship offer from East
Carolina.
The Pirates secured a
verbal commitment from Gentry less than 24 hours after an unofficial
visit to Greenville where he had a private meeting with ECU head coach
Skip Holtz and attended the annual spring game at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
“Our meeting with Coach
Holtz lasted about 20 or 30 minutes before the spring game,'' Gentry
said. “He told us about his morals and everything he believes in. It was
kind of funny because he and my Dad believe in the same things. My Dad
liked that.
“I told Coach Holtz,
(offensive line) Coach (Steve) Shankweiler and (assistant head) Coach
(Rick) Smith that they'd have an answer by Monday afternoon on whether
I'd commit or wait. I told my Dad when we got home that there was no
reason I shouldn't commit.''
Gentry called the ECU
coaching staff at noon on the 20th to make his pledge.
“I was just impressed with
the whole situation there,'' Gentry said. “The town thrives on East
Carolina and Pirate football. While we were at the spring game, I was
talking to fans, to the players, and it was clear the town of Greenville
lives and dies with East Carolina football. That's the kind of place
you're looking for if you want to play college football.''
Marshall had also extended
a scholarship offer, and Auburn and Notre Dame had been showing interest
in Gentry. He actually visited the Marshall campus in the days prior to
arriving in Greenville.
Notre Dame would have
seemed like a natural destination for Gentry, who lived in Evansville,
IN, up to the seventh grade. The family moved to Florida's capital city
and home of Florida State University just before his eighth-grade year.
It wasn't long after their
arrival in Tallahassee that Gentry faced a personal tragedy. His mother
passed away from complications from lupus and fibromyalgia.
“It's funny because I
acted a different way than most people would,'' Gentry said. “My mom was
a very upbeat, positive person. She was a real smart aleck and joked
around a lot. She always said if it were to happen to rejoice and
celebrate her life. So I got through (by) making jokes. It was my way of
remembering her.''
Gentry carried on his
mother's honor, developing into a stellar football player in three
seasons at Maclay. He served as team captain the last two years before
deciding a change of scenery was in order.
“I felt like at North
Florida Christian I could get my walk back with Christ,'' Gentry said.
“Football is good here. But I felt like it was more important for me
religiously than anything else.''
On the football field,
Gentry describes himself as a blocker with “good form and technique.''
“I obviously like to
hit,'' Gentry said. “But as far as my strengths go, I have good form,
good technique and good footwork.''
Cokely said Gentry also
plays with great intelligence.
“I think offensive linemen
have to have that intangible,'' Cokely said. “You can't be a dummy and
play up front because things change so much and protections change so
much, you have to be able think and make the adjustment. Drew does those
kind of things.
"Yes, he's big, and he's
got a lot of quickness. But he also thinks the game, and I think that's
why the East Carolina coaches really liked him.''
Gentry is a full academic
qualifier, according to Cokely.