Ex NFL Players On The Survivor Show [In Season Order]

NFL Quarterback Survivor Gary Hogeboom was the first person to appear on the show from the NFL. He participated in season 11.

The 11th installment occurred in Laguna, Yaxha of the Yaaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park in Peten, Guatemala. He survived for 30 days before becoming the 12th person to exit the game.

Throughout the show, Hogeboom did not reveal his identity and presented himself as Gary Hawkins. He told everyone that his profession was a landscaper.

This precautionary measure was to keep him the center of attention. Gary thought his athletic abilities and popularity could put him in a pickle and make him a target.

His identity was exposed by that year’s winner, Danni Boatwright. She was a TV host and sports journalist by profession. It was later revealed that all other participants were aware of his identity.

The hidden immunity idol was introduced for the first time that year, and Hogeboom was the first contestant to find it and use it successfully.

Hogeboom NFL Career

The 65-year-old formerly played for Central Michigan Chippewas before being the 133rd draft pick in 1980.

Dallas Cowboys selected the QB. He played six seasons for the Cowboys.

After that, he played for Indianapolis Colts (1986-88), Phoenix Cardinals (1989), and Washington Redskins (1990).

In 79 NFL matches, he made 8,436 passing yards for 49 touchdowns.

Grant Mattos and Steve Wright appeared in the same season of Survivor. The season took place in San Huan Del Sur, Nicaragua.

The 22nd installment was filmed in 2010 and was aired in 2011. The eighteen-player cast consisted of two returning players, Rob Mariano and Russell Hantz.

Boston Rob won the season with an 8-1-0 vote at the final tribal. His glory moment came in his sixth appearance in the program.

Former Raiders OT Steve Wright

Wright was the undrafted free agent signing for the Dallas Cowboys in 1981. The former Northern Iowa Panthers player played two seasons for the Cowboys.

His longest stay in the league was with the Las Vegas Raiders from 1987 to 1993. The OT was affiliated with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (1983-84) and Oakland Invaders  (1985).

Steve originally belonged to the Zapatera tribe in the reality show. He stayed for 31 days before losing the duel in Redemption Island.

Grant Mattos: 8th Place in Season 22

Grant was a former Wide Receiver for San Diego Chargers (2003-04), Denver Broncos (2004-05), and Tennessee Titans (2006). He spent his collegiate career with the USC Trojans.

The 42-year-old was put in the Ometepe tribe, the opposite clan from his other NFL counterpart.

During his stay in the program, he quickly formed a close alliance with Rob Mariano. Together, they formed the Ometepe 6, consisting of Ashely Underwood, Matthew Elord, Natalie Tenerelli, and Andrea Boehlke.

He was voted out on the 35th day after the intended target, Ashley Underwood, became safe after winning the immunity challenge. On the 36th day, he came last in the Redemption Island duel and was eliminated from the show.

Brad Culpepper is the only former NFL player to appear in multiple Survivor seasons. He was a participant in seasons 27 and 34.

Brad’s real name is John Broward Culpepper, and he hailed from Tallahassee, Florida. He played college football for the Florida Gators as a Defensive Tackle.

In the 1992 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings picked him in Round 10 as the 264th pick. He played the 1992 and 1993 campaign with the Vikings.

He spent his most years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1994 to 1999). Lastly, he went to the Chicago Bears in 2000.

He started 83 matches in his nine-year career and sacked the QBs 34 times.

First attempt at ‘Blood vs. Water’

Brad first appeared in the 27th season with his wife Monica Culpepper. The season’s format brought ten couples composed of one returning and one new person.

Monica previously participated in the 24th season.

It was a short stay for Brad, as he was voted out on the 10th day. He lasted four more days in Redemption Island before losing the duel and getting eliminated on Day 14.

However, his better half survived title the end and became the runner-up.

Runner-up in Game Changers

The 34th season in the Mamanuca Islands, Fiji, saw Brad return for his second run at the $1 million.

The 2017 edition was the fourth time the cast featured all the returning players. The twenty former players were divided into the Nuku and Mana tribes.

Culpepper originally belonged to the Nuku clan. Later, during the switch, he moved to Mana.

It was a fantastic phase for the ex-sportsperson as he won five individual immunity challenges and made it to the remaining three contestants.

Survivor ex-NFL Player Tyler Fredrickson contested in the 30th season, lasting 32 days. He was the 12th person eliminated from the game.

Fredrickson was a placekicker/punter for the California Golden Bears. He spent most of his professional career as a practice squad member for the Seahawks, Broncos, Cowboys, Redskins, and Raiders.

In 2008, he played in the Arena Football League for Los Angeles Avengers. He made four field goals in seven attempts.

As a Survivor contestant, Tyler started his journey in the Masaya tribe. He patterned with Joaquin Souberbielle and Carolyn Rivera in the initial phase.

His game sense and numbers games continued even after the switch and merge. He formed a six-member alliance and quickly voted out people outside his circle.

Tables turned for Tyler on Day 32 when Mike Holloway played the idol, and Carolyn betrayed him. He received four votes and was eliminated from the game.

Alan Ball was the sixth NFL football player on Survivor. The 35th season also included the Olympian and ex-competitive swimmer Katrina Radke.

The former Cornerback was the 237th pick in the 2007 draft. He played for the Cowboys from 2007 to 2011.

In 2012, he was signed by the Houston Texans. After that, he spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and had his final run with the Chicago Bears in 2015.

He played 108 games and made 234 total tackles, six interceptions, and 37 pass deflections.

In the reality show, Ball could not find a strong footing as he was often seen in disagreement with other tribe members. The audience saw him debate with Ashley Nolan, Joe Mena, and John ‘JP’ Hilsabeck before being the fourth person to bid farewell to the game.

He only lasted eleven days.

NFL player on Survivor season 41 was Danny McCray. The former Free Safety lasted 23 days in Mamanuca Islands, Fiji.

McCray was a Dallas Cowboys player from 2010 to 2013. The following year saw him on a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears.

Likewise, he returned to the Cowboys in 2015 and saw the curtain close on his pro career after a season.

A COVID-affected year pushed the production of the 41st season to 2021. Eighteen people were taken to Fiji for the filming of the show.

Luvu, Ua, and Yase were the three tribes that represented flood, wave, and lightning. Danny was in the Luvu clan.

Throughout his time at the show, Danny controlled the game. He formed a majority group and voted for others, won immunity tasks, and won individual immunity.

But it all ended in episode 12 when he and Dewshawn Radden received three votes each. Upon re-voting, Danny was voted out of the game and became the 6th jury member.

He was the sixth in the competition. At the final tribal, he voted for Deshawn, but the other six jurors cast their vote for Eika Casupanan, making her the winner.

NFL player on Survivor 44 is Brandon Cottom. The former fullback survived 15 days before becoming the seventh person voted out from the game.

Cottom graduated from Purdue University and remained with the Seattle Seahawks practice squad from 2015 to 2017.

The 30-year-old from Newton, Pennsylvania, started the 44th season in the Ratu tribe. Some other people of the tribe were Maddy Pomilia, Matthew Grinstead-Mayle, Jamie Lynn Ruiz, and Lauren Harpe.

In the 2022 edition, Brandon found an immunity idol, successfully played it, and later won an immunity task.

However, a blindside in Day 15’s tribal council made him the second jury member. In the season finale, he voted for Yam Yam to help him get the title of the sole survivor and the million-dollar reward.