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TheJunction Boyswere the "survivors" ofTexas A&M Aggies footballcoachBear Bryant's brutal 10-day summer camp inJunction, Texas,beginning September 1, 1954. The ordeal became the subject of a 2001 book byJim Dent,The Junction Boys,[1]and atelevision movie with the same titleproduced byESPN,starringTom Berengeras Bryant.

The camp

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Bear Bryantin 1945, during his time coachingMaryland

Texas A&M Universityhired Bear Bryant as head football coach in 1954, replacing former coachRaymond George.Bryant arrived inCollege Stationon February 8, 1954, and began molding the team. He felt that many of the players on the team were weak and not properly trained or coached, and needed a camp away from the distractions on campus. He therefore arranged for a camp to be held in the smallHill Countrytown of Junction, where Texas A&M had a 411-acre (1.7-km2) adjunct campus (now theTexas Tech University Center at Junction).

At the time of the camp, the Hill Country was experiencing a severeheat wave.It was also in the midst of the worstdroughtin the recorded history of the region, which had already lasted four years and would last another two after the camp. According to theNational Climatic Data Center,all 10 days of the camp took place in high temperatures, with a few days topping 100 °F (38 °C).

Practices began before dawn and usually lasted all day, with meetings in the evening until 11pm. The oppressive heat combined with the brutal practice schedule was too much for many of the players. Each day, fewer and fewer players reported for practice, as many quit the team from illness or disgust. The situation was compounded by Bryant's refusal to allowwater breaks.This practice, now widely recognized as dangerous, was at the time commonly employed by coaches at all levels in an attempt to "toughen up" their players. The only relief provided to the players were two towels soaked in cold water; one towel was shared by the offensive players, and one by the defense. One of the Junction Boys, futureNFLcoachJack Pardee,later said in an interview that some players sweated away 10% of their body weight.

List of "survivors"

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By the end of the 10-day camp, only a fraction of those who started were left. The list of "survivors" varies from 27 to 39. The 39 Junction Boys listed by writerJim Dentwere:

Jack Pardeeduring his time playing for theLos Angeles Rams

Over 100 players often have been depicted as making the trip to Junction, but all the survivors insist that the number was actually smaller. Although Bryant started out with over 100 players on the roster, many had already quit or been cut by the time of the Junction camp.[citation needed]

Aftermath

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Bryant's methods did not translate into immediate success on the field. During the 1954 season, Texas A&M played 10 games, from September 18 till November 25, losing nine of them. It was the only losing season in Bryant's 38 years as a head coach. The Aggies' only victory was a 6–0 win overGeorgiaon October 2, the third game of the season.

Main article:1954 Texas A&M Aggies football team
Gene Stallingsin 2009

Texas A&M did significantly better the next two seasons, going 7–2–1 in 1955, and 9–0–1 in 1956, winning theSouthwest Conferencedespite being on probation.[9]

Two of the Junction Boys,Jack PardeeandGene Stallings,went on to become head coaches in theNational Football League(NFL). Pardee was a two-time All-Pro with the1963 Los Angeles Ramsand the1971 Washington Redskins.Stallings also became Texas A&M head coach, and his Aggie team beat Bryant's Alabama team in the1968 Cotton Bowl Classic.Stallings later became head coach at Alabama and won a national championship in his third season in with the1992 Crimson Tide,which was Alabama's first national championship following Bryant's death.

In 2008, 19 of the Junction Boys had a 54th anniversary reunion at a ranch inBrenham, Texas.The remaining members agreed to have a reunion every five years.

In April 2010, the surviving Junction Boys were honored by the Texas Children's Cancer Center at "An Evening with Texas Legends" in Houston, Texas, at the Hilton Americas Hotel. They were interviewed by sportswriterMickey Herskowitzat the event.

See also

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References

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  1. ^Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites who...,Google Books, retrieved 2008-04-10
  2. ^Horswell, Cindy (October 22, 2011)."One of A&M's legendary 'Junction Boys' dies".Chron.
  3. ^"Junction Boys".www.espn.com.
  4. ^"Junction Boys".www.espn.com.
  5. ^"Junction Boys".www.espn.com.
  6. ^"Junction Boys".www.espn.com.
  7. ^[email protected], KYLE MCCLENAGAN (December 8, 2023)."Junction Boy, Former Bryan Mayor Marvin Tate, dies at 90".The Eagle.RetrievedJanuary 12,2024.
  8. ^Citronelle, Freeman Funeral Home-."Obituary for Joseph L. Rowell".Obituary for Joseph L. Rowell.
  9. ^"1956".
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