Here are the 10 most memorable Georgia ‘Survivor’ players over 50 seasons
CBS’s “Survivor” has cast a whopping 751 players over 50 seasons, going back to 2000.
At least 15 have strong Georgia ties, including a former Atlanta Brave, a Delta Air Lines flight attendant, a judge, two journalists and three Georgia Tech graduates.
Impressively, three made the All-Star Season 50, which debuts Wednesday and features 24 past players going back to Season 1.
Jeff Probst ― host for the show’s entire run and showrunner since 2010 ― came to Atlanta for SCAD TVfest earlier this month and spoke to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the show.
He also provided his thoughts on 10 of the most notable Georgia “Survivor” players over the past quarter-century:
10. John Rocker
Georgia ties: The fiery Major League Baseball relief pitcher grew up in Macon and played for the Atlanta Braves from 1998 to 2001. He was suspended for 77 days in 2000 after he made xenophobic remarks in a Sports Illustrated interview. In the story, he complained about hearing foreigners speaking other languages in Times Square, wondering, “How the hell did they get in this country?” He still lives in Atlanta.
Why he’s memorable: On “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” in 2014, he tried to stay incognito, but some players recognized him. Natalie Anderson ― who would eventually win and was just eliminated in the penultimate edition of Season 4 of “The Traitors” ― verbally insulted him, unleashing his temper. That sealed the deal. He became the third person voted out.
What he’s up to now: It’s unclear how he earns a living, but he remains active on X, where he recently criticized the Bad Bunny halftime show and posted a video of himself investigating alleged Somalia day care fraud in Columbus, Ohio. He also recently received stem cell treatment to fix a bad back.
Probst’s take: “I loved having Rocker on. What was fun is you knew he was volatile. You knew he was explosive and something could happen at any time.”
9. Carson Garrett
Georgia ties: He grew up in Rome and graduated from Georgia Tech last year with a degree in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering.
Why he’s memorable: During Season 44, he was known as the NASA intern who used 3D printers to create “Idol” puzzles before competing in Fiji, helping him win two immunity challenges. He was also warm, sweet and vulnerable when he needed to be while teaming up with eventual winner Yam Yam and goofy drug counselor Carolyn Wiger in an enduring alliance that began day three. He lost a crucial fire-making challenge and finished fourth.
What he’s up to now: He’s been off social media for more than a year, so it’s unclear.
Probst’s take: “Carson is deviously clever. That’s a great skill on ‘Survivor.’ There’s no secret why he did well. ‘I see a problem over there, and I have a clever idea in terms of who we need to get rid of.’”
8. Teresa ‘T-Bird’ Cooper
Georgia ties: She grew up in Decatur and graduated from Georgia Southern College in Statesboro with a degree in psychology. She joined Delta Air Lines as a flight attendant in 1981, purchasing a 161-acre farm in 1989 in Jackson, where she raised two children. She’s also been a real estate broker since 2001.
Why she’s memorable: She was the athletic soccer mom on the cast of 2001’s “Survivor: Africa” armed with a likable, colorful personality who admitted on the show to being part of the Mile High Club. From the merge, she was an underdog, fighting a majority alliance. Failing to win immunity when she needed it, she finished a respectable fifth place.
What she’s up to now: She is still a flight attendant at Delta, celebrating 45 years this year. “I’ve been at Delta for so long, to leave would be wild!” she said this week. “It’s a lifestyle.”
Probst’s take: “She’s one of the kindest humans I’ve ever met. Whenever I hear anything about her, it’s all positivity.”
7. Ron Clark
Georgia ties: His high-energy, high-standard teaching style in Harlem led to a TNT biopic (Matthew Perry played Clark) and the vision to move to Atlanta, where he opened Ron Clark Academy in 2007. The nonprofit middle school has become an internationally known incubator for innovative teaching methods.
Why he’s memorable: Leaning into his natural Type A personality, Clark played “Survivor: Edge of Extinction” in 2019 with a mixture of charm, aggression and manipulation. “I am the puppet master,” he declared at one point. In the end, Clark ended up getting blindsided by people he thought were allies, finishing in eighth place.
What he’s up to now: He continues to run his middle school, which draws thousands of teachers a year to learn his ways. He also hosts an annual “Survivor” viewing party at the school, bringing in dozens of “Survivor” contestants and hundreds of fans. The next one, scheduled for April 1, is already sold out.
Probst’s take: “He is tenacious. That’s what it takes to build a school, to get people to believe in you and support you.”
6. Rick Devens
Georgia ties: A Virginia native and Virginia Tech graduate, he moved to Macon in 2009 to work at WGXA-TV, where he eventually became an anchor.
Why he’s memorable: During “Survivor: Edge of Extinction” in 2019, Devens was eliminated early and joined other castoffs on a separate island where he was able to win his way back into the game at the merge. From there, he avoided elimination by winning four immunity challenges and using multiple immunity idols (including one that led to Clark’s elimination). He finished fourth, just missing the finals. Pop singer and ‘Survivor" super fan Sia liked him so much, she rewarded him $100,000.
What he’s up to now: He’s director of communications at Middle Georgia State University in Macon. He will compete on “Survivor 50.”
Probst’s take: “I like his fearless spontaneity. He will have an idea in the moment and just do it! That’s one of the reasons we invited him (to the 50th season). That spark!”
5. Malcolm Freberg
Georgia ties: He grew up in Marietta and played football at Walton High School. He graduated from Walton in 2005 and went on to Dartmouth College.
Why he’s memorable: He was always considered a threat courtesy of his charm, good looks and sharp game play but never won. On “Survivor: Philippines” in 2012, he came in fourth after losing a key immunity challenge. Producers immediately cast him for the next season, “Survivor: Caramoan,” leaving him just a two-week break. That season, he landed in a minority alliance and came in ninth, though he did win a $100,000 “Fan Favorite” vote. During his third and final try in 2017 in “Survivor: Game Changers,” he was voted out fourth.
What he’s up to now: He’s a writer, producer and content producer. He leveraged his “Survivor” fame in 2014 to host and produce the interactive online travel show “Wayfaring.”
Probst’s take: “Malcolm is an underdog despite him having the appearances of a hero and gladiator. If there’s a time he ever came back, I’d be curious how he’d do.”
4. Christian Hubicki
Georgia ties: A robotics scientist, he received his Ph.D. at Georgia Tech in 2018.
Why he’s memorable: Christian embraced his inner nerd during the “Survivor: David vs. Goliath” season in 2018, telling long, technical stories in a quirky, entertaining way. Tribemates liked him, enabling him to stay under the radar for a time. But after the merge, rivals began seeing him as a threat to win it all. After escaping elimination via an immunity challenge win and using an immunity idol, he got cut on day 35 and finished seventh.
What he’s up to now: He is an associate professor at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and director of the Optimal Robotics Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. He was selected to return for “Survivor 50.”
Probst’s take: “He’s willing to engage … All I have to say is ‘Hubicki, let me ask you a question.’ He’ll say, ‘Yes, Jeff, yes.’ His fingers get to work. He pulls on the hairs on his chin, and he’s giving you the essence of who he is.”
3. Eva Erickson
Georgia ties: A Minnesota native, she spent four years at Georgia Tech as the only female hockey player on the men’s team. She graduated in 2022 with a degree in physics.
Why she’s memorable: At first, she only told one person she had autism: a father figure and firefighter named Joe Hunter. She told him she could get overstimulated and asked him to calm her down if need be. When she struggled but ultimately helped her team win a challenge, Joe was part of a rival tribe and wasn’t technically allowed to soothe her. But Probst allowed Joe to calm Eva, a scene that caused the host to cry on camera for the first time in the show’s history. She also played an unusual game for the modern age of “Survivor,” focusing on honesty, loyalty and teamwork over pragmatism and manipulation. In the end, she came in second, garnering two votes from the jury.
What she’s up to now: She is completing her Ph.D. in engineering and fluid and thermal science at Brown University.
Probst’s take: “She can be oblivious. When she’s in a challenge, she’s in it. And she doesn’t see herself the way you do. The more time you spend time thinking about her, the better it is for her.”
2. Savannah Louie
Georgia ties: A California native, Louie came to Atlanta as a news reporter at CBS affiliate Atlanta News First in 2021. Her contract was not renewed in 2024, which opened up her opportunity to apply for “Survivor.” (Working at WANF would have disqualified her at the time.)
Why she’s memorable: She started as a social player, but after the merge, when she realized she was on the bottom, she became an immunity challenge beast, winning four times, often saving herself from near-certain elimination. She was direct and sometimes confrontational, maintaining a tight alliance with two other players that helped her win in the end.
What she’s up to now: The producers liked her so much, she was given a treasured spot on “Survivor 50.”
Probst’s take: “She has killer instinct combined with charm. Savannah is in your face with it but can pull it off. She is unapologetic: ‘This is me!’”
1. Parvati Shallow
Georgia ties: Graduated from Sprayberry High School in Marietta, followed by the University of Georgia
Why she was memorable: She is often considered one of the best “Survivor” players of all time, with an innate ability to read other people, knowing when to orchestrate a blindside and when to adapt to the situation. She could be strategic and charismatic without ever losing her cool. As a result, “Survivor” brought her back four times and she pocketed a $1 million win Season 16 in 2008.
What she’s up to now: She remains a reality show staple. She competed effectively on Season 2 of Peacock’s “The Traitors” as a traitor but was eventually voted off by the faithful. Despite her reputation as “The Black Widow,” she also won “Survivor Australia vs. The World” last year.
Probst’s take: “She’s one of the GOATs. There’s no denying it. It’s really impressive when her skill set is on display for the entire world, and she can still win. She’s so compelling.”
If you watch
“Survivor,” Season 50 returns Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBS, available the next day on Paramount+
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
