April 2013 DigiMag

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Click the videos above to watch Phil and Willie Robertson talk about A&E, family values, and Duck Dynasty.

lywood. “It’s not the Pat Robertson show,” Phil says. Another story comes to Phil’s mind. “The other day, some guy got in touch with us,” he says. “He was an atheist. This atheist was watching Duck Dynasty and said, ‘I don’t believe in God, but these people do.’ He said, ‘I don’t have

that. I don’t have a family like that. My family, we all hate each other.’ Friction. Drugs. Fighting. He said, ‘I wish I could be like that.’ He got in touch with somebody, they preached the gospel, he got converted, and he sent a letter down.’” And to think: All of this may have never happened—if Phil hadn’t walked away from football, if Miss Kay hadn’t forgiven Phil, if they hadn’t surrendered to God and gotten their lives back on track. Now, Phil and Willie are invited to hundreds of churches every year. Many have even traveled to West Monroe just to be baptized by the Robertsons—they trickle in each week, Phil says— because they were impacted by the show. “Obviously, athletically, Dad had the talent and ability to be on a stage like a lot of athletes do,” Al says. “But what’s ironic is that, instead of that, it’s like God had a whole other plan, because this is something totally unique and different. This other door was down the road that we wouldn’t even know, and now, we’re just going through that door—” “Ohhh, this is the big door, right here,” Phil says, excitedly. “This is our chance to—” “Preach to millions.” Stephen Copeland is a staff writer at Sports Spectrum magazine.

All photos provided by the Robertson family

SPORTS SPECTRUM ~ DIGIMAG 2013

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