Obviously, no one is born with a beard. No matter how hard it is to believe, Phil and the boys did not, in fact, arrive in this world with hairy cheeks. Growing a beard, and growing it to such famous lengths, has to be a conscious decision.
For the majority of his young life, Phil had a clean-cut face that was free of any facial hair. So, when exactly did he decide to start growing out his beard? When his sons hit their teenage years, Phil stopped shaving and just let it all grow. Apparently, they liked the look, because as soon as they graduated from high school, they followed suit.
English Teacher
Phil lived an entirely different life in his pre-hunting days. This image shows him during his time as a teacher at a high school in his area. While most people would shutter at the thought of working with their live-in spouse, Phile didn't seem to mind that — he and his wife, Kay, both taught at the school for a few years together.
Phil Robertson, the teacher (ahem... the beardless teacher, we must add), seems like a completely different person than the duck-hunting wild man you see on the show. We wonder if any of his old student would have recognized him now.
Louisiana Living
Phil and Kay are high school sweethearts! She was 14 and he was 16 when they started dating. By the time Phil had gone to college, they were an old married couple — imagine that! They both grew up in Louisiana. It’s where they spent their own childhoods, where they met, and where they had children of their own.
They decided that it was also the perfect place to raise their family and nurture their empire, which is exactly what they did. They put down roots and they grew their success beyond belief! They probably couldn’t have imagined exactly how far they would come.
Shooting Star
You would probably never be able to guess that the face in this picture is that of Willie Robertson. And we can't blame you! The Willie you know today is a fully grown man with a fully-grown beard. The individual in this picture is a smiley kid with a bowl cut.
Yep, before Willie ran an uber-successful duck-hunting business, he played football. It definitely stands to reason that Willie was taking a page out of Phil's book and has developed a love for the sport. Just like his old man, he decided against pursuing it professionally and today he’s a multi-millionaire.
Happy Camper
Willie’s wife, Korie, has seen her husband both with and without his signature beard. As you can see in this picture, he didn't have a beard when the two got married. However, the couple's young daughter, Bella, has only seen her dad with a face full of fuzz. Obviously, she did not attend the wedding.
Would she even be able to recognize him without it if he ever decided to shave it off? The face in this wedding picture is a far cry from what he looks like today! Lucky for Bella, it doesn't seem like Willie has plans to give this look another shot.