"Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson stared down the powerful forces of
Hollywood, and Hollywood blinked! As a result, people are coming out of
the closet. But they aren't gay. They are Christians and conservatives. A
duck hunter may have fired the shot that ignited a new American
Revolution.
As an athlete in high school, Robertson was all-state in football, baseball, and track, which afforded him the opportunity to attend Louisiana Tech University in Ruston on a football scholarship in the late 1960s.[9] There he played first-string quarterback for the Bulldogs, ahead of Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw,[10][11] 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.[12][13] 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.[14]
ReplyDeleteIn his time at Louisiana Tech, Robertson completed 179 of 411 passing attempts for 2,237 yards. He threw 12 touchdowns, but had 34 interceptions.[9] It was thought he had the potential for a pro career, but Robertson was more interested in hunting.[9] Bradshaw once remarked about Robertson's love of hunting, saying "... 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."[15]
When Paul Harvey approached Robertson with a recruitment to play professionally for the Washington Redskins, he declined because football conflicted with his hunting. Besides, football was only about holding up his scholarship to him, while Bradshaw practically lived and breathed the sport.[13] Robertson put it in this way: "Terry went for the bucks, and I chased after the ducks."[9]
Robertson later received a bachelor's degree in physical education and a master's in education.[16]