Background and career
Phil Alexander Robertson (April 24, 1946 – May 25, 2025) was an American professional hunter, businessman and television personality who was the founder of hunting products company Duck Commander. A reality television star on the popular television series Duck Dynasty, he was also featured on the television show Duck Commander, a hunting program on the Outdoor Channel. He served as patriarch of the Duck Dynasty Robertson family. Robertson attended Louisiana Tech University, where he played football. He received a master's degree in education and spent several years teaching prior to founding Duck Commander, a hunting equipment company. He was the subject of controversy after a 2013 interview he did with GQ magazine, where he said that homosexual behavior was sinful. As a result, A&E suspended him from Duck Dynasty. Facing a strong backlash from his supporters, A&E lifted the suspension after nine days. In September 2023, a biographical film on the early life of Robertson, The Blind, was released in theaters.
Robertson was born in Vivian, Louisiana, on April 24, 1946. He was the fifth of seven children of Merritt (née Hale) and James Robertson. Because of financial setbacks during his childhood, the family lived in rugged conditions, having no electricity, toilet or bathtub. The family rarely went into town to buy groceries, and instead "lived off of the fruits and vegetables they grew in their garden; the meat from deer, squirrels, fish, and other game they hunted and fished; and the pigs, chickens, and cattle they raised". In his book Happy, Happy, Happy, Robertson recalls that "It was the 1950s when I was a young boy, but we lived like it was the 1850s ... but we were always happy, happy, happy no matter the circumstances." Halfway between Vivian and Hosston is Robertson's restored log cabin birth home. The property is owned by Robertson's cousin, Nathan Hale.
As an athlete in high school, Robertson was all-state in football, baseball, and track, which afforded him the opportunity to attend Louisiana Tech in Ruston on a football scholarship in the late 1960s. At Tech, he played first-string quarterback for the Bulldogs, ahead of Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw, the first overall pick in the 1970 NFL draft. When he arrived at Tech in 1966, Bradshaw caused a media frenzy on account of his reputation of being a football sensation from nearby Shreveport. Robertson was a year ahead of Bradshaw, and was the starter for two seasons in 1966 and 1967, and chose not to play in 1968. At Louisiana Tech Robertson completed 179 of 411 passing attempts for 2,237 yards. He threw 12 touchdowns, but had 34 interceptions. It was thought Robertson had the potential for a pro career, but he was more interested in hunting. Bradshaw said of Robertson's love of hunting that "Phil Robertson, loved hunting more than he loved football. He'd come to practice directly from the woods, squirrel tails hanging out of his pockets, duck feathers on his clothes. Clearly he was a fine shot, so no one complained too much." When approached to play professionally for the Washington Redskins, Robertson declined because playing football would conflict with his hunting. Additionally, football was only about completing his scholarship to him, while Bradshaw practically lived and breathed the sport. Robertson put it this way: "Terry went for the bucks, and I chased after the ducks." Robertson later received a bachelor's degree in physical education and a master's in education.
Robertson initially taught school for several years before becoming a commercial fisherman. He lived in a trailer and ran a honkytonk bar in 1975. Robertson assaulted a bar owner and his wife after an argument.
As an avid duck hunter, Robertson was dissatisfied with the condition of duck calls. He began to experiment with making a call that would produce the exact sound of a duck. He invented his first Duck Commander call in 1972. He received a patent for this call and the Duck Commander Company was incorporated in 1973. Today, the company of Duck Commander is a multimillion-dollar business, headed by his son, Willie Robertson. Robertson and his family were portrayed on the A&E reality television series Duck Dynasty, which ran from 2012 to 2017, and covered their daily lives within Duck Commander.
Robertson was featured in Steve Bannon's film Torchbearer, in which he talks about the absurdity of life without God, using events like The Holocaust to illustrate the point. In October 2017, Robertson joined CRTV as a contributor, hosting In the Woods with Phil. In September 2023, The Blind: The True Story of the Robertson Family was released in theaters nationwide. The film details the tumultuous early life of Robertson, his wife, and their family until 1985, before their Duck Dynasty fame.
