After 28 years as a host of a radio morning show with an wide audience across Southeast Nebraska and Northern Kansas, one of the longtime voices on Ol' Red 99.5 in Fairbury is hanging up his headset.

Persevering though personal adversity, Phil Rogge has forged an identity as a local icon, overcoming a debilitating accident three decades ago to create a late-stage career in radio - a chapter that he has decided to conclude this week after 28 years and one month as a fixture of one of the area's most popular programs.

"It’s a special week, bittersweet," said Trevor Steinmeyer, Ol' Red's program director and Rogge's co-host on the morning show. "Man, we’ve been together a long, long time every morning. Phil’s done this for 28 years, and he’s got a lot of fans out there that are going to be sad to see him go. It’s definitely a sad week but it’s also a special week as we pay tribute to a guy that has been a part of people’s lives."

"Phil in the past has made me laugh, he’s made me cry, he’s made me mad, and most importantly, he’s brought such a fun energy to working here, and I’m going to miss him, a lot," said Nichole Scholl, the fourth member of the morning show crew.

It all started in 1997, when Rick Siebert, the former owner of the station, contacted Phil and asked him if he'd be interested in joining the team as a co-host of the morning show alongside his friend Randy Bauer.

"I remember the first phone call we got was my first day, and somebody from Kansas called in and said, ‘Oh, you got Punxsutawney Phil with ya?’ I thought oh boy, hopefully this doesn’t stick," Rogge recalled.

That nickname never caught on, but the show took off. For years, the program was affectionately known as the Phil and Randy Show until eventually, the roster expanded to include Trevor and then Nichole as the station evolved. Today, Phil's primary duties are writing the questions and wrangling the guests for the Hundred Dollar Minute quiz show, delivering the joke of the day, and kicking off the proceedings with his customary "Good Morning!" cheer every morning at 6 a.m. sharp.

"We've all been on the morning show for quite some time together, and we’re more of a family than anything. We are together every single day, just like we would be at home. We argue, we fight, we laugh, we make fun of each other, and I think that’s what makes the morning show good, because it’s real," said Steinmeyer. "It’s real life. It’s our stories, we’re making fun of what happened to me last night, or what Phil did yesterday that was dumb, and people enjoy that. That’s why people like reality TV, you know? They tune in for the drama and the laughter and that’s what we have, and it’s what makes us one of the best morning shows around."

"I think the four of us just have a chemistry that is going to be really difficult to replace," Scholl echoed. "We’re never going to have that chemistry again, and that makes me sad."

"I’m fortunate because Trevor, and Randy, and Nichole...there’s certain things that I need, like my meds, or quad cough, just different things. And I don’t have to have a nurse or an aide here because they take care of me," said Rogge. "That means a lot, to have them be nice enough to step up and help out with what I need. They just mean a lot to me. I can’t say enough good about them – they truly do care."

But for many of his 28 years on air, listeners didn't know that the body that supplies Phil's voice, humor and personality was severely damaged in a 1992 car crash that left him paralyzed.

"When you’re a quadriplegic, there’s not a lot of jobs out there. And that’s what was fun at first was the fact that I could be in a chair, but nobody knew you were in a chair. Unless we told them, you’re just a voice," Rogge said. "That was meaningful at the time. Now I think everybody knows I’m in a chair, because we make fun of it."

Phil refused to let his disability define him, instead becoming an icon for his listeners and teammates alike.

"Phil has overcome a lot, and he’s an inspiration. He’s been on the brink of death I don’t know how many times," said Scholl. "I’m truly amazed at what this man’s body has been through, and how much he’s fought to get back to working with us. It’s truly inspirational."

"He’ll be missed by a lot of people. Our listeners out there all have their favorite members of the morning show but they all love Phil," said Steinmeyer. "A great human, that’s how I would describe Phil Rogge."

He never thought he'd have a career in radio, but after enduring his life-threatening accident more than 30 years ago, Phil credits the morning show for giving him a purpose well suited for his talents, regardless of his physical disabilities.

"When you look around, so many quadriplegics end up not doing anything, and they end up dying. When I was injured, they told me I probably had 10 to 15 years [to live]. And that was 33 years ago," Rogge said. "And I think the radio had a lot to do with that – the fact that I had a reason and had something to do. I don’t like getting up at 4:30 in the morning, I’ve never been an early morning guy, but it’s been well worth it. It’s fun to be with people that are fun, and that crew is definitely fun.