Philip "Phil" E. Borders

Edmonds Warriors  / Seattle Ramblers / Seattle Rangers

Quarterback / Defensive Back

1964-1967

Born in Oklahoma in 1939, the sudden passing of his father led his mother to move the family to Seattle where he became a star 3-sport athlete for Ballard High School, winning a State Championship in 1956 and earning All-American honors.  Phil earned a scholarship to the University of Washington playing as a reserve quarterback in 1958, completing 8 of 30 passes.  Borders would leave the Huskies to pursue a baseball career in the Chicago Cubs system and later in the Angels.

From 1960 through 1964, Phil played for the St. Cloud Rox, Houston Buffs, Wenatchee Chiefs, San Antonio Missions, Fort Worth Cats and Tri-City Angles as an outfielder and 3rd baseman.  In 1609 at bats over 517 games, Phil accumulated 448 hits, 53 home runs, 253 RBIs and 279 runs scored.  In the field he had a .968 fielding percentage in the outfield and 20 errors in 625 chances.

It was during this time he married his wife Barbara of 52 years.  Following his last stint in the Northwest League, the football bug caught hold again and Phil found himself under center with the Edmonds Warriors.  Leading the Warriors to back-to-back undefeated seasons in 1964-65 (21-0), the team became the second incarnation of the Seattle Ramblers in 1966, and again went undefeated winning the West Coast Championship over the San Jose Apaches (11-0).  In 1967 the Ramblers became the Seattle Rangers of the Continental Football League where Phil switched to the defensive side of the ball recording an interception as a 27-year old reserve defensive back in his final season of semi-pro ball.

Becoming a father took him down the path of completing his degree training where he spent 25 years as a Washington State Patrol officer.

Phil was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Hall of Fame by his Seattle Rambler teammates in 2008.  He passed away suddenly in 2016 at the age of 76 as this biography was being prepared for his induction into the GNFA Hall of Fame.

Phil was undefeated as a quarterback in the Pacific Northwest semi-pro ranks with his teams finishing the 1964-1966 seasons a perfect 32-0.