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Jack Pardee

  (6:02 PM)

I am here and ready to go!

Mike, Austin TX

Jack, was there ever a time that you thought you weren't going to make it and what kept you going?

Jack Pardee

  (6:04 PM)

Practices! It was so hot out there. The thing that made them nearly unbearable was not getting anything to drink. I'm a heavy prespirer so when I get in the heat, I sweat a lot. I'd lose 20 lbs. during practice. I was in survival mode of "How do I get through this?" I was able somehow. That was the hardest part. I never have gone through an easy NFL training camp, but I have no idea why in those days, coaches didn't give their players fluids. About 15 years later, they started. But back then, we didn't get any.As far as quitting, if I had quit, my parents would have been worse than Coach Bryant. Once you start, you don't quit.

rock springs,wy

jack was paul a hard knose coach as everone thinks

Jack Pardee

  (6:06 PM)

Coach Bryant was a hard nosed coach. He never pulled any bones about that. His teams were going to be in shape and be very tough. His teams never wore out or gave up in the fourth quarter. How does someone have the love and respect of everyone who ever played for him if he didn't have a lot going for him. Everywhere he ever coach, he had a cult following. He treated the players right. If you were honest with him, he was honest with you. He cared about his players, fed them well, took care of them. He just expected a lot in return.

Sherm , Waco, Texas

Howdy , Coach, I know you will be bombarded with questions concerning Juncition, Coach Bryant and all the " hullabaloo " concerning our recent coaching change in Aggieland. However, my question is a bit different. What was the learning curve for you as a teenager going from a 6 man program to the Southwest Confrence , more or less with Coach Bryant in College Station ???Merry Christmas and Gig'em P.S.I understand there are some teasips still sore from the " event " at billy goat hill in austin at an AandM / tu baseball game back in the good ol' days. !!!!!!

Jack Pardee

  (6:07 PM)

Oh yes. Big change. Bryant wasn't at AandM my freshman year. The coach I first had, our first game, I was carrying the ball as a FB. As they were about to tackle me, I latereled the ball! He told me not to do that.

Kenny (Houston)

Coach Pardee, First and foremost congradulations on all of your sucesses thus far. What is the biggest difference between Coach Bryant and today's College Coaches. What are some things that you are involved with at Texas AandM if any. Again congradulations on all of your accomlishments.GIG'EM

Jack Pardee

  (6:09 PM)

Before we went to Junction there were about 8 or 10 of us who worked in the oil fields. Now, guys lift weights. They stay in shape year round. The oil field was our weight room. The big difference now is the way players are conditioned, and how young they get into it.

Andy (San Diego)

What was your first reaction when you foudn out they were making a movie of Junction Boys?

Jack Pardee

  (6:10 PM)

The movie is coming from a book that Jim Dent wrote a couple years ago. He was hoping at the time it would become a movie, and wrote it with some poetic license to enliven the story. It was 47 years ago. I can't even remember what I said last week! But the book captured the spirit of the time very well. To me it is very flattering. We were at the right place at the right time to be a part of football history.

Gary (Wylie, TX)

What was Bear Bryant's "Bread and Butter" play during his days as the Aggies Head Football Coach?

Jack Pardee

  (6:11 PM)

Gary, we had one play really! We ran a split T option. Back in those days OU was a split T option team as well. When we were really wild, we'd split one receiver out. We'd run a straight T or belly option. If we there two passes a game we were being really risky.

JD (Houston)

Hello coach. Standing on the sidelines while coaching at UH and for the Oilers, did you ever draw from the well of knowledge gained while being a player under Coach Bryant? Any specific instances?PS - Raised a Cougar, graduated from TAMU.

Jack Pardee

  (6:13 PM)

I tried to use quite a bit of what I learned from Bear, but not X's and O's. More of how you treat the players fairly and get them to buy into the sytem. How many times have you heard about coaches playing guys because he's his son or the principal's son. There were no politics with Coach Bryant. You could always challenge a guy in practice. If you beat him, you swapped jersey's right there on the spot.

Jackson

Who do you like.. Ohio State or Miami?

Jack Pardee

  (6:14 PM)

That's a tough one! I'm just glad the BCS has come down this way. There is no doubt those are the two teams that should be in it. Two teams with unblemished records and great teams. I'm not forecaster. I'd probably go with the defensive team, Ohio St.

Dennis - Lincoln

I read the book last year. Great book. In my opinion, Bryant was sadistic and endangered his players' health. How can you, and your team mates, admire Bryant after he put you through hell in Junction?

Jack Pardee

  (6:16 PM)

That was just a way of life back then. He wasn't the only one. There were teams all over the country doing that. That's just how it was. When players did start getting hurt, things changed. He expected the most out of you, that's how it was. When I was a senior, I hurt my shoulder. He took it easy on me during practice that week. We had a great trainer, Smokey. He would stand up to Bear Bryant to hold guys out of practice.

Alex (College Station)

Howdy! Why was it that John David Crow didn't go to Junction? And did it make it difficult for the team since he seemed the one to get all the attention from the media? Gig'em!

Jack Pardee

  (6:18 PM)

No. John David was a freshman. They did not play Varsity sports then. His class, we didn't have many come back from Junction, and we lost 9 games that year. But it wasn't like we weren't going to improve. We had the best recruited freshman class waiting to play the next year.

JT Boston

Coach, what are you doing now? I miss seeing you on the sidelines. Who was the best QB you coached?

Jack Pardee

  (6:18 PM)

JT, I have a ranch in central Texas. I try to raise some grass for some old cows to eat. It keeps me busy as long as I want to be busy.

Steve, Highland,IN

Jack, What was your most important lesson learned in Junction and how did it help you in the great careeer you had?

Jack Pardee

  (6:20 PM)

I was a sophomore, part of the youngest group at Junction. I was way down on the depth chart but wanted to play. After guys started leaving, Coach Bryant believed in me enough. He would plug me in wherever they needed me. I left Junction with the hopes of being able to play.

Allison

Do you think we will ever see a college football playoff? Would you be for it?

Jack Pardee

  (6:21 PM)

Probably not. With this bowl series, I think that is as good as it is going to get. There could maybe be one or two more games added, but it's hard to have a tournament when you only play once a week.

Robert (Guthrie, OK)

Was College Station in the 50's really "out in the boonies", or was the all male, military requirement the big hindrance to recruiting??

Jack Pardee

  (6:23 PM)

AandM is an old school. It was military, all male. It was like Westpoint. We marched in the morning. There was no lying around! It wasn't a big town. One hamburger joint, one movie house, etc. It was very tough on recruiting. Coach did a great job.

Robert (Guthrie, OK)

How often do the Junction survivors get together and commesurate old times...

Jack Pardee

  (6:24 PM)

Yes we do. We are going to get together this weekend for a private showing of the movie in Little Rock. We were all together for our class reunion. Talk about lessons learned, of our group, 8 of the 35 were in that Sophomore class that graduated together. We are all still alive, married to the same women. We don't give up. Coach taught us well.

Steve Highland,IN

Jack, What was your most memorable game in youe collge career?

Jack Pardee

  (6:27 PM)

That's tough!! I have about four. My junior year we were playing Rice. We both had good teams. They were ahead of us, even though we were playing well. It was hot and humid. With 1:50 to go, we were behind 13-0. We ended up winning 21-13. When coaches talk about not giving up, man, anything can happen!My senior year, we beat Texas in Austin at Memorial Stadium for the first time ever. That was quite an accomplishment. Thanks for all the questions.. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie for the first time this weekend at our special screening. I hope you all enjoy the movie as much as I do.Take care!