Phil Robertson may have been a star on Duck Dynasty, but did you know that the 74-year-old man was once a college football star as well? However, his heart always belonged to the outdoors for hunting.
Phil Robertson attended Louisiana Tech back in the ‘60s. LSU, much like it is today, was where all the NFL prospects played, leaving Louisiana Tech on the outskirts. However, Hall of Famer quarterback Terry Bradshaw did put the school on the map and played alongside Robertson.
The famed quarterback even writes in his autobiography that lucky for him, the quarterback that had the starting position, referring to Robertson, had a top priority of hunter and not football.
“He’d come to practice directly from the woods. Squirrel tails hanging out of his pockets, duck feathers on his clothes,” recalls Bradshaw. “Clearly, he was a fine shot, so no one complained too much.”
What happened to Robertson then? He quit the sport with a year left of eligibility, but it’s said that Robertson was statistically better than Bradshaw.
“At the time, no one quite understood what exactly was my problem because I didn’t put football as the ultimate goal, being this stud hoss football player, but what they didn’t see then, they get it now,” said Robertson.
Why Robertson Chose Hunting Over Football
While Bradshaw went on to NFL stardom, Robertson became an entrepreneur and invented the duck caller, which started the famous Duck Commander company. Both men ended up doing very well for themselves. In addition, the hunter is happy with his choice of a laid-back lifestyle.
“The choice came down to me in the woods hunting ducks or getting in a situation — a lifestyle — whereby large, violent men are paid huge sums of money to do one thing, and that’s stomp me in the dirt,” admits Robertson. “I said, you know, I just think it would be less stressful to go after ducks.”
Was it Worth it?
According to FanBuzz, Bradshaw has a net worth of $20 million, while Robertson is close behind with a net worth of nearly $15 million. Although, at what cost is that extra $5 million?
The Brain Injury Law Center reports that Bradshaw suffered nearly six concussions during his career. He never left the game due to one of the concussions either. Today, he admits to battling emotional struggles and memory problems from all the hits he has taken to the head.
[H/T Sportscasting]
