Willie Robertson, the patriarch of the the Duck Dynasty is a huge LSU Tigers fan, as he’s good friends with Louisiana State Head Coach Les Miles. He’s a native of the state and he often comes down to games to hang out with the coach and the players.
The Sports Bank recently had an exclusive chat with Robertson when he made just his second ever visit to the windy city earlier this month. Robertson was in Chicago to help promote the newly opened Under Armour store on Magnificent Mile.
We’re in the midst of spring football practice at LSU, so it was the perfect time to talk a little spring football.
“He is a good one, we saw how good he is and just how good he’s going to be,” said Robertson on LSU running back Leonard Fournette.
Fournette is a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy this fall.
The new UA brand house features a hunting section, and the sportswear producer has a commercial partnership with Duck Commander, the duck call business run by Robertson. In their bowl game, LSU lost to another UA school, Notre Dame and Brian Kelly; small world as Brian Kelly was at the same party while this interview was done (podcast below).
Robertson’s Duck Dynasty now even includes a college football bowl- the Duck Commander Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. I asked him how he thought the ever first Bowl game sponsored by his company turned out.
“The weather was crappy, but it was a great game, a really highly rated game on television, two great teams and it was good to see the Ol’ Ball Coach win it, as he’s an Under Armour guy,” said Robertson.
Steve Spurrier and his South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Miami Hurricanes 24-21.
The store held an unveiling party, attended by not just the Duck Dynasty guy but a whole host of prominent Chicago sports figures. Attendees at the Michigan Avenue brand house included Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, Chicago Bears Defensive Backs Kyle Fuller and Anthony Walters, Notre Dame Football Coach Brian Kelly, Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern basketball coach Chris Collins.
It turns out Duck Dynasty is also close friends with first baseman Adam LaRoche, who was signed by the Chicago White Sox from the Washington Nationals on November 24th for 2 years and $25 million. LaRoche and Robertson share a passion for hunting, and seemingly, facial hair as well. And now the White Sox have Duck Dynasty in their corner!
Below is the podcast with Willie from Duck Dynasty:
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. You can read Banks’ feature stories and op-eds in the Chicago Tribune RedEye newspaper and hear his regular guest spots on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
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