Athleticism is a huge aspect of Survivor, and contestants often find it important to keep their tribes physically strong so that they will perform well in challenges. Tribes with former professional athletes usually keep those players in the early stages of the game with a goal to eliminate them before individual immunity challenges begin.
Over Survivor's more than 40 seasons, professional football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer players have competed as well as some Olympians.. They have ranged from being the first boot of a season to winning the game and the title of Sole Survivor, but all were targeted at one time or another for their athletic past.
Ethan Zohn - Pro Soccer Player (Africa)
Survivor: Africa winner Ethan Zohn first competed on the show at age 27. He returned a few years later for All-Stars, and came back nearly two decades later for the iconic Winners At War.
Prior to his first appearance on the show, Ethan was best known for being a professional soccer player. He was a goalkeeper for the Hawaii Tsunami and the Cape Cod Crusaders in the United States, and played for the Highlanders F.C. in Zimbabwe before he founded Grassroots Soccer.
Gary Hogeboom - NFL Player (Guatemala)
Gary Hogeboom was best known in his Survivor career for lying about who he was — he told his tribe-mates that his name was Gary Hawkins — and maintaining that he was and always had been a landscaper. He also found the first ever hidden immunity idol and used it correctly.
Unbeknownst to his fellow castaways originally, Gary played football for Central Michigan University and then was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and the Phoenix Cardinals. The other contestants quickly figured out his identity and targeted him for being a physical and social threat.
Ashley Massaro - WWE Wrestler (China)
Ashley Massaro was the second person voted out of Survivor: China, so viewers didn't get a chance to see her Survivor story unfold on their television screens. However, she already had a large television presence as a WWE Diva.
Ashley professionally wrestled for almost four years, returning to the scene briefly in 2017. She was on the popular wrestling show Smackdown! as a commentator after winning the Raw Diva Search in 2005. She died in 2019 less than two weeks before her 40th birthday.
Crystal Cox - Olympian (Gabon)
Crystal Cox was best known for her hilarious confessionals on Survivor: Gabon and her season-long rivalry with fellow castaway Randy Bailey. She placed sixth and ended up being a jury member.
Despite her tribe calling her out for her weak performances in challenges, Crystal was an Olympic athlete years before she competed on the show. Crystal ran track and field in the 2004 Olympics and won a gold medal, but was later stripped of it after itting to doping.
Steve Wright - NFL Player (Redemption Island)
Steve Wright was dealt the unfortunate cards of being on a tribe with notorious Survivor villain Russell Hantz as a captain on the 22nd season of Survivor. He was taken out in a Pagong-like fashion by Boston Rob and his allies, but he did make the jury.
In the 1980s, Steve played in the National Football League for several teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Raiders. He was an offensive tackle and briefly played with future Survivor alum Gary Hogeboom when they were both on the Cowboys.
Grant Mattos - NFL Player (Redemption Island)
On Survivor: Redemption Island, Grant Mattos became fan-favorite Survivor player "Boston Rob" Mariano's right-hand man before being blindsided by the legend himself.
Much like his castmate Steve Wright, Grant played professional football. He was a wide receiver and had a fou- year career where he played for San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, and the Tennessee Titans before retiring in 2006 due to knee injuries.
Jeff Kent - MLB Player (Philippines)
Jeff Kent was bitterly voted out of Survivor: Philippines by Lisa and Michael's alliance just after the merge. He became the second member of the jury and ultimately voted for Denise to become the Sole Survivor.
Jeff was one of the most famous and notable professional athletes to appear on the reality show. He played second base for six teams over the course of his Major League Baseball career, playing his longest stint with one club as a San Francisco Giant.
Julia Landauer - NASCAR Driver (Caramoan)
Julia Landauer was on the "fans" tribe for the second edition of Fans vs. Favorites. Her tribe was taken down pretty quickly by the "favorites," and she was the victim of a re-vote following a tie at a pre-merge tribal council.
Julia was only 21 years old when competed on Survivor but had already been racing stock cars for several years. Following her appearance on the reality show, she became a NASCAR driver and motivational speaker.
Brad Culpepper - NFL Player (Blood Vs. Water, Game Changers)
Brad Culpepper was a divisive character both times he appeared on Survivor. The first time, he was known as returning player Monica's husband and the enemy of several other castaways. His second time around, he made it to the final tribal council and even racked up a few votes after having a great redemption arc.
When his wife Monica first appeared on One World, people recognized her as being married to former NFL player Brad Culpepper. Brad was a defensive tackle for nearly 10 years, playing for teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Chicago Bears.
Cliff Robinson - NBA Player (Cagayan)
Cliff Robinson had a legendary Survivor bromance with martial arts instructor Woo Hwang before being blindsided at the first tribal council his tribe attended in season 28.
Cliff and Woo bonded over their love for sports and competing, something Cliff knew well as he played professional basketball for 18 seasons. He played for five different teams over the course of his career and was named an NBA All-Star in 1994. Cliff sadly died in 2020 after battling lymphoma. He was 53.
