Will "Spoon" Witherspoon

A Scoop on Spoon

As the son of a military officer Will Witherspoon moved around a lot as a child. His parents chose to live not in military housing but in the local communities so their children could experience different cultures throughout their youth. His final destination was Panama City, FL where he played defensive end for Rutherford High School, switching to linebacker before his senior year. His next steps found him on the path to the University of Georgia's football program. For three years he switched between middle, strong-side and weak-side linebacker positions and Witherspoon graduated with a degree in landscape architecture.

When Witherspoon first purchased the land for Shire Gate, he used it as a hobby farm. Today some of the areas where he and his family members would race four-wheelers, trucks and tractors as a way to relax have been designated for another purpose. Now Shire Gate houses numerous types of livestock, including horses, chickens, pigs, sheep and goats. Counting all the livestock, horses and his German Shepherd, Witherspoon owns more than 250 pets, but being an animal lover is nothing new to him. Aside from the farm, Witherspoon currently co-owns two doggy day cares called Club K-9 in Charlotte, N.C., with former Panthers teammate, Dan Morgan. He has already found a third location in Charlotte for Club K-9, and always looking to expand into more markets with Shire Gate.