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The Junction Boys were the "survivors" of Texas A&M Aggies football coach Bear Bryant's brutal 10-day summer camp in Junction, Texas, beginning September 1, 1954. The ordeal became the subject of a 2001 book by Jim Dent, The Junction Boys, [1] and a television movie with the same title produced by ESPN, starring Tom Berenger as Bryant.
Texas A&M University hired Bear Bryant as head football coach in 1954, replacing former coach Raymond George. Bryant arrived in College Station on 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 small Hill Country town of Junction, where Texas A&M had a 411-acre (1.7-km2) adjunct campus (now the Texas Tech University Center at Junction).
At the time of the camp, the Hill Country was experiencing a severe heat wave. It was also in the midst of the worst drought in the recorded history of the region, which had already lasted four years and would last another two after the camp. According to the National 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 allow water 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, future NFL coach Jack Pardee, later said in an interview that some players sweated away 10% of their body weight.
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 writer Jim Dent were:
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 ]
Bryant's methods did not translate into immediate success on the field. During the 1954 season, Texas A&M played 10 games, starting on September 18 and ended on 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 over Georgia on October 2, the third game of the season.
Texas A&M did significantly better the next two seasons, going 7–2–1 in 1955, and 9–0–1 in 1956, winning the Southwest Conference despite being on probation. [9]
Two of the Junction Boys, Jack Pardee and Gene Stallings, went on to become head coaches in the National Football League (NFL). Pardee was a two-time All-Pro with the 1963 Los Angeles Rams and the 1971 Washington Redskins. Stallings also became Texas A&M head coach, and his Aggie team beat Bryant's Alabama team in the 1968 Cotton Bowl Classic. Stallings later became head coach at Alabama and won a national championship in his third season in with the 1992 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 in Brenham, 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 sportswriter Mickey Herskowitz at the event.
The 1994 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented Texas A&M University in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Aggies completed the season with a 10–0–1 record overall and a Southwest Conference mark of 6–0–1. They were ineligible to win the Southwest Conference title or the postseason due to probation.
The 1966 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1966 Big Ten Conference football season. In its eighth year under head coach Bump Elliott, Michigan compiled a 6–4 record, tied for third place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 236 to 138.
The 1963 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1963 Big Ten Conference football season. In its fifth year under head coach Bump Elliott, Michigan compiled a 3–4–2 record, tied for fifth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 131 to 127. The highlight of the season was an upset victory over No. 2 Illinois led by Dick Butkus, the only loss suffered by the 1963 Illinois team.
The 1962 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1962 Big Ten Conference football season. In its fourth year under head coach Bump Elliott, Michigan compiled a 2–7 record, finished in last place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by opponents by a combined total of 214 to 70.
The 1961 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1961 Big Ten Conference football season. In its third year under head coach Bump Elliott, Michigan compiled a 6–3 record, finished in sixth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 212 to 163.
The 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1959 Big Ten Conference football season. In its first year under head coach Bump Elliott, Michigan compiled a 4–5 record, finished in seventh place in the Big Ten, and was outscored by a combined total of 161 to 122.
The 1958 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1958 Big Ten Conference football season. In its 11th and final year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 2–6–1 record, finished in eighth place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by opponents by a combined total of 211 to 132 points.
The 1954 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1954 Big Ten Conference football season. In its seventh year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 6–3 record, tied for second place in the Big Ten, outscored opponents by a combined total of 139 to 87, and was ranked No. 15 in the final AP and Coaches Polls.
The 1953 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1953 Big Ten Conference football season. In its sixth year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 6–3 record, tied for fifth place in the Big Ten, outscored opponents by a combined total of 163 to 101, and was ranked No. 20 in the final AP Poll and No. 19 in the Coaches Polls.
The 1952 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1952 Big Ten Conference football season. In its fifth year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 5–4 record, tied for fourth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 207 to 134. For the second consecutive season, Michigan was not ranked in the final AP Poll; it was ranked at No. 17 in the final Litkenhous Ratings.
The 1951 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1951 Big Ten Conference football season. In its fourth year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 4–5 record, finished in fourth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 135 to 122. For the first time since 1937, Michigan was not ranked in the final AP Poll. It was ranked at No. 29 in the final Litkenhous Ratings.
The 1953 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1953 college football season. In their third year under head coach Jess Hill, the Trojans compiled a 6–3–1 record, finished in third place in the Pacific Coast Conference, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 199 to 161. The team's home attendance of 413,617 in six games was the highest in the country during the 1953 season. The total attendance of 561,389 in 10 games was the second highest in the nation.
The 1956 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. In their sixth and final year under head coach Jess Hill, the Trojans compiled an 8–2 record, finished in a tie for second place in the Pacific Coast Conference, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 218 to 126. The team was ranked #15 in the final United Press Coaches Poll and #18 in the final AP Poll. Total attendance for all 10 games was 469,762.
The 1961 Little All-America college football team is composed of college football players from small colleges and universities who were selected by the Associated Press (AP) as the best players at each position. For 1961, the AP selected three teams of 11 players each, with no separate defensive platoons.
The 1964 Little All-America college football team is composed of college football players from small colleges and universities who were selected by the Associated Press (AP) as the best players at each position.
The 1966 Little All-America college football team is composed of college football players from small colleges and universities who were selected by the Associated Press (AP) as the best players at each position. For 1966, the AP selected two teams, each team having separate offensive and defensive platoons.
The 1968 Little All-America college football team is composed of college football players from small colleges and universities who were selected by the Associated Press (AP) as the best players at each position. For 1968, the AP selected two teams, each team having separate offensive and defensive platoons.
The 1969 Little All-America college football team is composed of college football players from small colleges and universities who were selected by the Associated Press (AP) as the best players at each position. For 1969, the AP selected two teams, each team having separate offensive and defensive platoons.
The 1970 Little All-America college football team is composed of college football players from small colleges and universities who were selected by the Associated Press (AP) as the best players at each position. For 1970, the AP selected three teams, each team having separate offensive and defensive platoons.
The 1970 Westminster Titans football team was an American football team that won the NAIA Division II football national championship. They represented Westminster College, a small college in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, with a total enrollment of 1,558 students, competing against other "small" colleges like Texas A&I with enrollments as high as 21,000. The Titans competed as an independent during the 1970 NAIA Division II football season. In their 19th season under head coach Harold Burry, the Titans compiled a perfect 10–0 record and outscored opponents by a total of 284 to 62. Burry was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.