Thanks for the suggestion, but that won't work as the Text sequences are combinations of mulitple behaviors and there does not seem to be a way to affect them globally (at least a way that is obvious to my beginner eyes).
For example 'explode text' is comprised of:
align to motion
edge collision
gravity
random motion
The only solution I can come up with is to export a movie of the animated text, reverse it in FCP, then import it again.
Obviously not the most desirable way to do things.