Phil Robertson had 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.
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. He was the starting quarterback back in the 60's and legendary quarterback Terry Bradshaw was his backup. He was approached for recruitment to play professionally for the Washington Redskins, but he declined because football conflicted with his hunting.
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.
Born Phil Alexander Robertson on April 24, 1946 in Vivian, Louisiana and died May 25, 2025 in West Monroe, Louisiana at the age of 79.
