Near Junction in Kimble County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Coach Bear Bryant and the Junction Boys

Photographed by Brian Anderson, January 17, 2025

1. Coach Bear Bryant and the Junction Boys Marker

Inscription. Paul “Bear” Bryant, former coach at Maryland and Kentucky, became head football coach at Texas A&M in 1954. To evaluate his new players, Bryant sought a preseason camp far from the main campus. The Texas A&M adjunct opened in Junction in 1951, on 411 acres purchased by citizens of Kimble County. It was here that a grueling ten-day training camp thinned the roster while laying a foundation for future champions. Nearly 100 players filled two buses for the 250-mile drive to Junction on Sep. 1. Although the site was normally well-watered near the South Llano River, the region was in the grip of a long-term drought in 1954. There was hardly any grass, and one player recalled “any time you got knocked down you had to avoid the prickly sandspurs.” With high heat, rough ground and long practices, players slipped out by night. By the end of the camp, only 35 men remained to board buses returning to College Station.

That fall, the team won a single game, the only losing record in Bryant’s 38-year career. Two years later, the 1956 team went undefeated, won the Southwest Conference, boasted seven all-conference players, and finished

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ranked fifth in the nation. Many of the camp survivors were successful in their chosen careers, including two with long coaching careers in college and the National Football League. Bryant left Texas A&M for Alabama, winning six national championships and retiring as college football’s winningest coach in 1982. Bryant and the Junction Boys met here again in 1979, reunited at a place which became legendary in Texas and American sports history.

Erected 2014 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17986.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is September 1, 1954.

Location. 30° 28.313′ N, 99° 46.607′ W. Marker is near Junction, Texas, in Kimble County. It is at the intersection of County Road 180 and Farm to Market Road 2169, on the right when traveling south on County Road 180. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 254 Red Raider Lane, Junction TX 76849, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Hill Country.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western

Photographed by Brian Anderson, January 17, 2025

2. Coach Bear Bryant and the Junction Boys Marker

World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Vicinity of Bradbury Settlement (approx. 0.7 miles away); Isaac Kountz (approx. 0.8 miles away); William Walter Taylor (approx. 0.8 miles away); John James Smith (approx. one mile away); Junction School Campus (approx. 1.1 miles away); First Baptist Church of Junction (approx. 1.2 miles away); Marvin E. and Retta Ann Blackburn House (approx. 1.2 miles away); College Street Church of Christ (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Junction.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 21, 2025, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,066 times since then and 272 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 21, 2025, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio.