The Junction Boys: How Ten Days in Hell with Bear Bryant Forged a Champion Team

By Jim Dent

Book Overview

The Junction Boy is now a television movie produced by ESPN, starring Tom Berenger as Bryant.

The legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant is recognized nationwide as one of the greatest coaches ever. So why did he always cite his 1-9 A&M team of 1954 as his favorite? This is the story of a remarkable team - and the beginning of the legend.

The Junction Boys tells the story of Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's legendary training camp in the small town of Junction, Texas. In a move that many consider the salvation of the Texas A&M football program, Coach Bryant put 115 players through the most grueling practices ever imagined. Only a handful of players survived the entire 10 days, but they braved the intense heat of the Texas sun and the burning passion of their coach, and turned a floundering team into one of the nation's best. The Junction Boys is more than just a story of tough practices without water breaks. An extraordinary fellowship was forged from the mind-numbing pain. The thirty-five survivors bonded together like no other team in America. They profited from the Junction experience; the knowledge they took back with them to College Station, about themselves and what they were capable of, would be used for the rest of their lives.

In vivid and powerful images reminiscent of Friday Night Lights, Hoosiers, and The Last Picture Show, these young men and their driven coach come to life. The Junction Boys contains all the hallmarks of a classic sports story, and it combines America's love of college football with an extraordinary story of perseverance and triumph.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031226755X
• ISBN13: 9780312267551
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Ten Days in Texas

Bear Bryant was a master at getting the most out of the men that played for him, and this story is the standard by which the rest of his life was lived. Compassion overwhelms you as you read this book. You feel compelled to cheer on the survivors no matter what they undertook, for they simply went through hell for ten days in Junction, TX with the devil himself conducting drills. They had more heart in them than the whole National Football League has in them today. By today's standards, Coach would have been considered cruel and insensitive. Yet he managed to have so many successful years at coaching because he knew how and with whom he could build a team. He knew who had character and he knew who had heart. This book I highly recommend for the humor, for the drama and for the all of the characters of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Football Team of 1954.

Absolutely amazing

This is the best book I have ever read. The heart and determination of the men who survived Junction was and still is truly amazing. Every football player on any level should read this book. Injuries such as "turf toe" would never be heard of again.

A Book Hard To Put Down

I heard about this book on sports radio in NY. Mike Francessa claimed it was one of the best books he had read and I second that remark. I am not a avid reader of books but finished this one in 2 days. If you are a sports enthusiast don't miss this epic story of the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant. How one man created a championship program by running his new team into the ground, seeing who wished to remain standing with him on the sidelines of Texas A & M. The book shows how the strength of a coach and the courage of just a few players can overcome all odds. Jim Dent takes you to Junction, Texas and to the campus of A & M with these brave players. This book will not disappoint and it will open your eyes to what the true meaning of competition and rivalries are all about. There are so many inspiring stories that it will leave you with a lasting impression on what hard work can do for not only a team, but individuals who give their all for that team! From now on I'm rooting for the Aggies!

A winner

Before there was Joe Paterno or Bobby Bowden or Lou Holtz, there was the incomparable Bear Bryant. Kids today act as if today's coaches are insufferable, or unbearable to work under, but most kids never knew Bear Bryant or even heard of the fabled coach. Dent retells the tale of how 111 boys went into the Texas backwoods, and how only 35 survived. When you finish this book, it's hard to believe what the boys had to put up through, and why some of them even stayed around. Although the yarn of Junction is covered through only a few chapters, it's important to know how the Texas A & M program came from the ashes before Bryant to a respected and fear team after Junction.From this book you'll learn the meaning of perseverance, dedication and hard work. You'll never complain about how hard something is until you've been put through Junction. A town during the mid 50's that was in drought and just about desolate.Then you'll learn about who Bear Bryant is. A man who didn't know the meaning of quit. Who knew hard work and the will to win. If you thought Lombardi or a Parcells or even a Bobby Knight was incorrigible, then you never met Bear Bryant. If you want to pick up a great book on everything described above, then the Junction Boys is the place to start.