A little glimpse into the mind of the EIC – late July is always one of those pivotal moments in the year for me. In a normal year, I’ll have gotten the bulk of my “Vision Boarding” done at this point, aiming for the bigger stuff, and I’ll always take a moment to stop, look back at what I’ve done, and look ahead at what needs to be done. Also, on a personal level, all of the trips are over with, birthdays have passed, and it feels like it’s time to just ride out the rest of the summer until we can get back to cooler weather (Labor Day through New Year’s – I live for that shit). We’re all getting ready for football season.
So, in my deep reflection, I always think back to The Junction Boys – it’s one of my favorite books for a couple of different reasons. First, I’m an Alabama fan – I love reading about Bear Bryant, his humble beginnings, and the level of success he attained. But, there’s something about this book that also feels like stepping back in time in the south, and seeing what football was like back then. But, there’s also the lesson in what such hardships and physically exhausting conditions can bring out of people.
Per Google Books:
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.
A lot of of what Paul “Bear” Bryant did back in the day wouldn’t fly in 2020. Absolutely not – dragging dehydrated players that had passed out on the field into the showers would be a downright crime in this day and age. And, really – there are probably more civil ways of team bonding and figuring out “who wants it the most.” Nonetheless, it’s fascinating how this group of young men went out into what was damn near a desert, sweated it out for days, and came back as brothers.
For the sports fan, it’s a small taste of the heritage of the sport. It’s a lesson in what made Bryant so great, why he was such a hard-nosed guy, and how he ultimately got the results he did as one of if not the greatest college football coach of all time.
For the non-sports fan, it’s a lesson in leadership, motivation, and the team dynamic. I’m not saying your local office manager should drive the entire staff out into the middle of the west Texas plains and dry them out for two weeks. But, it’s an example of how overcoming adversity together can build camaraderie, and how that camaraderie can, in turn, lead to more productivity and a group of people who are willing to do more for each other.
I highly recommend it, but you have to read it in the summer time, when you can feel the stinging heat of the sun and the anticipation of another football season.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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