09/08/2026
From an East Texas ranch to Hollywood — Damon Carney’s story is one with some serious hometown Apache pride! 🤠🎬
Born and raised in Tyler, Damon was the 10th of 11 Carney children, growing up on a ranch where his mom and dad instilled the value of hard work. And TJC was very much a part of the Carney family story. His parents attended Tyler Junior College, and all 11 Carney siblings followed in their footsteps. Talk about a family tradition! As TJC celebrates 100 years, Damon’s journey is a wonderful reminder of the generations of families whose stories are woven into the history of this college and this community.
Damon went on to build a diverse acting career, appearing in television series including Walker, Texas Ranger, Friday Night Lights, American Crime and Fear the Walking Dead, and sharing the screen with some of Hollywood’s biggest names. His film credits include Disney’s The Lone Ranger, alongside Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, and My All American. In 2018, Damon reached another major career milestone when he landed his first leading role in a feature film, playing Detective Sean Carter in Hellraiser: Judgment. More recently, his work has included 1923, where his return to the world of ranches and the American West offered a pretty fitting nod to his own East Texas roots.
But perhaps the most fitting part of Damon’s story is that, despite the Hollywood lights, his roots remain firmly planted in family and hard work. He and his college sweetheart, Bradi, have been married since 1990, and together they have built a family and a successful business, owning and operating The Tin Cup deli in Arlington since 2003. Today, they’re proud parents and grandparents — with five grandchildren carrying on the next generation of the Carney family.
From a Tyler ranch to TJC, from TJC to Hollywood, and from one generation of Carneys to the next — Damon Carney’s story is exactly the kind of hometown success story worth celebrating during TJC’s centennial year. Once an Apache, always an Apache!
