Legendary fan: The Gentrys make history

Gentrys take pride in unique accomplishment as Legendary Fans By Brian Hand | Contributing writer • Photos by Allen Sharpe

It’s always special to say that you have done something nobody else has ever done.

It’s even more special when you can say that you accomplished it as a father-son duo. That is the case for the Gentrys.

That truly special accomplishment is that W. M. Gentry, Jr. and his son Wes Gentry III have both been named Legendary Fans of the Game by South Carolina. That is believed to be a first. W.M. Gentry Jr. was honored in October 2010 and his son, Wes, was honored in September 2014.

“It means a great deal to us,” Wes Gentry III said. “My dad has never missed any home games and he is the type of person who sits through the games no matter what the score is until the end of the game.”

The Gentry family has been working hard for not only the Gamecocks, but Saluda County, for a long time.

Located in Saluda County, Gentry’s Poultry Company was founded in the 1950s and the business flourished under the direction of W.M. Gentry, Jr. Wes Gentry III and his brother, Larry E. Gentry, both helped build the business over the years. Wes Gentry III has been working at the family business since graduating from the University of South Carolina.

That dedication to building a successful family business has also translated into the Gentrys working hard to help keep the Gamecocks thriving.

“I have been giving to the Gamecock Club for 45 years and my dad has been giving for 53 years,” Wes Gentry III, a 1971 graduate of the University of South Carolina, said. “Like his business, my dad is very proud of the Gamecocks.”

Put simply, Wes Gentry III says that being a Gamecock “is a part of our lives.”

“We have not wavered one bit, and we are not going to waver one bit. I just think South Carolina is a great place to go to school.”

Following the Gamecocks has allowed the Gentrys unique opportunities, like seeing George Rogers and South Carolina play Southern Cal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. in 1980. But they also know that commitment has also given them so much as well.

“We have just done a lot with the Gamecock Club, but they have also done a lot for us,” Wes Gentry III said. “They are good people.”

Wes Gentry III and W.M. Gentry Jr.