Jack Pardee, one of Bear Bryant's ''Junction Boys'' at Texas A&M who went on to become an All-Pro linebacker and an NFL coach, has died, according to his family. Pardee was 76. He survived a bout with melanoma when he was 28 and in the middle of his 15-year NFL playing career. He played six-man football at Christoval High School in west-central Texas, near San Angelo, before moving on to Texas A&M. Bryant became the Aggies' coach in 1954 and moved their preseason camp to desolate Junction, about 100 miles northwest of San Antonio. The state endured a severe drought and an historic heat wave that year, but Bryant worked his team through the brutal conditions and refused to allow water breaks in an effort to toughen players. Pardee was one of 35 players who made it through to the end of the 10-day camp without quitting. Pardee played three seasons at Texas A&M and was the 14th overall pick in the 1957 NFL draft by Los Angeles. He played for the Rams from 1957-64, sat out a year to deal with his melanoma, and played seven more seasons. He finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1973. He was selected as an All-Pro in 1963 and 1971. He coached in the World Football League for one season before moving on to NFL coaching. He was the Chicago Bears' head coach from 1975-77. He coached the Redskins from 1978-80 and was fired after Washington went 6-10. He served as San Diego's defensive coordinator for one season, then returned to Texas to coach the USFL's Houston Gamblers. When the USFL disbanded in 1987, Pardee became the coach at the University of Houston and brought along the fast-paced ''Run-and-Shoot'' offense that worked well with the Gamblers. Read more http://www.aggieathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27300&ATCLID=207027660
