The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1518781
MAY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 27 LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE Obviously, Gentry's road to Schem- bechler Hall wasn't like that of his teammates. After graduating from Col- umbine High School, he prepped for a two-year mission trip to Argentina. The trip didn't develop as planned, with the COVID-19 pandemic preventing him from getting a visa to travel to the South American nation. Instead, he stayed out west, serving full-time as a Spanish- speaking missionary in Orem, Utah. "For two years, we were helping people and teaching them about Jesus Christ," Gentry explained. "We were helping them with whatever we could, with whatever they needed. For those two years, when I look back now, it was the best prep I had for Michigan football. "Things here are very disciplined. They require a lot of discipline, a lot of hard work. For two years, what I was doing involved a lot of discipline and a lot of hard work, learning to live on my own. We don't have contact with our families, except for one hour a week — an hour to an hour-and-a-half phone conversation with them. You go from having your mom do your laundry and cook your dinner for you to all of a sud- den you're on your own. You've got to go to the grocery store, buy your own laundry detergent and all of that stuff. "It's a little bit of a head-turning expe- rience. For two years, it's the best thing I could have done. It really took the focus off me, and helped me focus on other people. It taught me to be selfless, and what really matters in life. It prepared me the best way possible for what I was coming into with Michigan football." Gentry found himself teaching Eng- lish classes to Spanish-speaking resi- dents. He cleaned up yards, and helped remove snow in the rugged Utah winters. He and his missionary part- ner would make hospital visits, pro- vide counseling, paint houses, move couches, and do whatever folks they encountered needed. "I met a lot of people who were hav- ing a really tough time in life," Gentry said. "When times are tough, a lot of people turn to religion. That was our responsibility — to teach people about Jesus Christ, and how they could see him as a relief in their life, help them emotionally as well as physically." Sometimes, the physical relief flowed directly from the missionaries. "There was a time when me and my companion missionary — who you're with 24/7 — were just walking, and we met this guy who was really frantically moving some things, and seemed like he was in a bad state," Gentry recalled. "So, we walked up to him and asked him what was going on. He explained to us that he needed to get back down to his family. He had all these things he needed to move, and he didn't know how he was going to do it, because he had to be out in a certain amount of time. He was really stressed, and just needed a miracle. "Luckily, we were there. We had been praying for opportunities to help people. As missionaries, we wear white shirts and ties, and we were in white shirts and ties at the time. But we moved this guy. He had a lot of stuff, and we moved it all into a trailer for him, and helped get the trailer set up. It took us the whole afternoon, but to see how incredibly grateful he was, and how he couldn't have done it by himself, was a huge experience to me, a life-changing experience. "There are a lot of people who need help. If you just open your eyes and look for them, people are always there to help. That's something I've tried to carry with me, and will for the rest of my life." He admitted the next part of his life required further personal growth. "Most definitely," Gentry said. "You can ask anyone on the offensive line, or the coaches. When I first got back from my mission, it was a big transition, for sure. I was out of shape, I was weak. It took some time, for sure. That first year, that redshirt freshman year, it was re- ally just getting back into football mode, getting my feet under me, getting my timing back. "I was just missing. I would go to strike somebody, and my timing was just off. I just felt off, my footwork felt off. That first year, it was just getting with Abigail [O'Connor], our nutrition- ist, putting weight back on, getting in the weight room with Coach Herb [Ben Herbert] at the time, and putting a lot of strength back on, watching a lot of film and doing whatever I could to get back into football mode. "Last year, I still wasn't 100 percent in terms of where I was as a football player. Throughout the season, it built back up, to the point that I really started to feel like myself again. Now, going into spring ball, I think it's the best football I've played in my lifetime. "I feel back. I feel ready. It's definitely been a process, a transition, getting back into shape and getting better. But the coaches here have been awesome, and the staff. I'm excited for what the future holds now." ❑ Michigan's Mission-Minded Men Michigan football has included those who came off two-year Mormon mission trips in the past. Here are two such players who have performed for the Wolverines during the past three decades. Spencer Brinton, QB, 2001-04 — Brinton played quarterback for the Wolverines behind John Navarre and Chad Henne over the course of his career in Ann Arbor. Following his mission trip to Africa, Brinton performed in a dozen games for the Wolverines, completing 11 of 22 passes for 121 yards with no interceptions. He played on the 2003 and 2004 Michigan Big Ten championship squads. Jeff Holtry, LB, 1997 — Holtry enjoyed a national championship season with the Wolverines, coming off his mission to play for the 12-0 Michigan title team in 1997. He performed in 11 games, posting a sack among 3 tackles for the staunchest defense in the nation. Thereafter, he transferred to BYU, but saw his career cut short by injuries. — John Borton ❱ U-M offensive line coach Grant Newsome, on Gentry "He's done really, really well this spring. He's been kind of a Swiss Army knife for us in years past. He's backed up multiple spots, and so it's been awesome being able to see him compete."