Texas Tech University Athletics
The Climb
September 30, 2017 | Double T Varsity Club
Federal Judge part of JT King Reunion this weekend.
Life has been nothing short of an adventure for former Red Raider linebacker and current U.S. District Judge Robert A. Junell.Â
He's been a Division-I linebacker. He's served active duty with the U.S. Army. He's been a practicing lawyer. He's been elected to the Texas legislature. And since 2003, he's been a U.S. District Judge. Â
All those titles don't touch the surface on a man who is also an avid runner, bicyclist, ski patrolman and mountain climber, all of which he remains actively involved in even after recently turning 70.
This weekend, Junell's life story will be one of several told as former football student-athletes during the JT King era (1961-69) return to Lubbock for a reunion hosted by the Double T Varsity Club. Â
"This is a special weekend," said Rodney Allison, director of the Double T Varsity Club. "You can look at the accomplishments from former athletes like Judge Junell or John Scovall and how important their careers at Tech were to making them who they are today. We look forward to these types of reunions every year."Â
Junell enrolled at Texas Tech prior to the 1967 season, King's third-to-last as the Red Raider head coach. A Lubbock native, Junell joined his hometown team after two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute, serving mainly on kickoff coverage in 1967 before claiming a starting spot at linebacker a year later. Â
He was part of several memorable moments in Tech history during those two seasons, beginning with the Red Raiders' 19-13 victory over No. 8 Texas in just Junell's second game as a Red Raider. The win in front of 66,000 fans in Austin marked Tech's first in the state capital as the Red Raiders went on to finish 6-4 overall and 5-2 in the early years of the Southwest Conference.Â
The Red Raiders bookmarked the end of the 1967 season with another road win – this time at Arkansas. Tech opened the 1968 season – Junell's senior year – with another victory over the Longhorns as the Red Raiders took down Texas, 31-22, in front of 50,167 fans in Lubbock, the first home crowd of over 50,000 in school history.
"That was the last game Texas lost (to Tech) for a long time," Junell said of the 1968 game against the Longhorns. "It was quite a game and one I still remember to this day." Â
Junell, who stood 5-8 and at 182 pounds during his playing career, earned his degree from Texas Tech shortly after his senior year and was then commissioned into the U.S. Army in December 1969. He went on active duty in 1970, remaining in the military for three-and-a-half years. Â
"When I was in the Army, I had to depend on the soldiers that I served with or things could get pretty bad," Junell said. "You knew that when an officer gave you an order kind of like when a coach gives you an order or a direction, it was your job to go fulfill that. The same thing when you had men under you. They look to you for leadership. All that plays into that lifestyle of Tech Football."
Junell returned to Texas Tech shortly after completing his military service to begin law school in the fall of 1974. Junell studied alongside future Law School dean Walter Huffman, the son of former Red Raider freshman football coach Berl Huffman, before earning his degree in 1976 and starting a successful law career in El Paso and San Angelo. Â
After over a decade as a West Texas lawyer, Junell successfully ran in 1989 to represent several rural counties near San Angelo in the Texas House of Representatives, a position he served in for 14 years. Junell was the chairman of the Appropriations Committee the last 10 years of his time in the House.Â
The highlight of his professional career likely came in 2002, however, when President George W. Bush nominated Junell to a seat on the United States District Court for the western district of Texas. Junell was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in February 2003, beginning a 10-plus year career on the bench for a 551-mile district that runs as far south as the Rio Grande River and into New Mexico.
It was the life lessons learned between the hedges that Junell said prepared him for his journey from Monterey High School to Texas Tech to the legislature and eventually federal court.
"One of the things you learn about football is you have to be ready. You have to be prepared," Junell said. "That's a lot like life. You can't as a lawyer just show up in court and say 'here I am.' You have to prepare for what's happening. Same thing as a judge, I prepare myself for the cases coming before my court so I do a good job. At Tech, I had outstanding coaches who weren't just coaching football. They were coaching life."
Junell and his wife, Jayne, moved to Sante Fe, New Mexico, just over a year ago after Junell decided to enter into what's known as senior status, which cut down on his amount of court dates, allowing the couple to explore many outdoor adventures like mountain climbing.Â
Over his lifetime, Junell has climbed Guadalupe Peak, the highest peak in Texas, an astounding 171 times. He's been to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, three times, including once recently after knee replacement surgery and his 70th birthday. Â
Name the highest mountain on any specific continent, Junell has likely climbed it. He's been to the tallest mountains around the world from base camp at Everest to Mount Denali in Alaska (16,000 feet), the highest peak in North America. Â
In addition, he's a member of the ski patrol at Ski Apache in Ruidoso, New Mexico. That role will prevent Junell from attending today's game against Oklahoma State but he made sure to sneak into town just long enough for Friday night's gathering of former teammates. Â
Junell has two days' worth of mandatory training exercises beginning Saturday in Ruidoso or he would be part in the on-field recognition of former player under King, whom Junell credits as a tremendous role model early in life. Â
"Coach King was great because he gave me confidence in myself," Junell said. "He was a great man and a great inspiration for all of us. He was a great role model. As I went into the military, then into law and now as a judge, Coach was an incredible role model for how he treated people and how he lived his exemplary life." Â
There will be several "Do you remember when?" or "I remember when we did this" moments throughout this weekend when Junell and former teammates gather in Lubbock.
Sure, plenty has changed in the Hub City, yet alone Jones AT&T Stadium, since Junell's final game in 1968. It won't matter, though. Flashbacks to 1967 will race through Junell's mind as soon as he walks through the door. Â
"It's like those memories come back just like yesterday," he said. "It's always fun to be with those guys and remember what happened. You just really bond with one another. It's always good to see everybody and see how their doing. It's a good feeling."
