A Virginia Tech alum will return to television as one of 24 castaways on “Survivor 50” in a three-hour premiere on CBS tonight.
Rick Devens, a 2006 graduate from the School of Communication, previously appeared on “Survivor 38: Edge of Extinction.” He finished the season in fourth place. Devens also served as a co-host of the “On Fire” official podcast for the show.
Devens, a Blacksburg High School graduate, was initially selected as an alternate for the 50th season filmed in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji, but later, “Survivor” host Jeff Probst gave him the news that he made the final cast.
“I was over the moon,” Devens told Virginia Tech. “I was so psyched.”
Devens now serves as the director of communications at Middle Georgia State University.
The 50th season brings back some of the show’s most popular players from previous seasons to compete for the title of Sole Survivor and a $1 million prize.
“I had a lot of fun the first time I played, and that’s exactly why I want to do it the second time. I played this crazy over-the-top game that put a huge target on me, but it was my game and it was fun.”
He said he has a different strategy this time around.
“Now I’m coming back, and I don’t want a huge target right away. I know that the over-the-top game is kind of what put people on their heels and gave me an advantage, so I’m really trying to balance when to let that beast out.
“I think you just kind of have to get out there and see what these other castaways are all about and decide then when your feet are in the sand,” he said.
He credits the diverse student body at Virginia Tech for preparing him to deal with the unique cast members.
“I don’t think anyone who tunes in for season 50 is going to be disappointed. It’s a big, wild, new game and every single one of these castaways brings it in in ways you thought they would and in ways that surprise you.”
The live finale for “Survivor 50” is scheduled for May 20.
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Crystal Graham
