It’s hard to believe that Rick Devens was almost eliminated BEFORE the merge on Survivor: Edge of Extinction, but now, he’s a finalist with a REAL shot to win the $1 million prize. Rick has had an incredible journey on the show, and he’s going into the finale with a huge target on his back…although, he also has an immunity idol in his pocket. Of course, he’ll have to beat out Lauren O’Connell, Gavin Whitson, Julie Rosenberg and Victoria Baamonde, as well as the one person who comes back from the Edge of Extinction, to officially get that title of Sole Survivor. Get to know Rick better with five facts here:
1. How did he make the ‘Survivor’ finale if he was eliminated? Rick started out the game on the Manu tribe and was the fourth person voted out on Day 11. However, he won the right to return to the game on Day 19 after beating five other players in a challenge. Devens immediately became the obvious target once he re-entered the game. He somehow managed to skate by several votes as the members of the original Kama tribe turned on each other, but he still remained on the bottom and was not included in any of the big tribe decisions. He secured his place in the finals with back-to-back immunity wins, a hidden immunity idol, and another immunity win in the last four episodes. He also found a second hidden immunity idol, which he can use up until the final four. Rick is clearly the biggest threat heading into the finale, but if he’s able to keep doing what he’s been doing, he seems to have the win secured!
2. He’s a morning news anchor. Rick works as the morning news anchor at WGXA in Macon, Georgia. His show airs at 5:30 a.m. on ABC16 and FOX24. He began his career at WGXA as a commercial producer in 2006, and eventually began reporting on the network’s Friday Night Football show. He served held different positions at the station over the years,including promotions producer, weekend sports anchor, news reporter, and sports director, before becoming the morning news anchor.
3. He’s a college graduate. Rick attended Virginia Tech, and graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in creative writing. He worked as a tape editor at a local TV station during college, which is where he found his passion for working in television.
4. He’s married with a family. Rick is married to a woman named Becca. Their son, Jack, was born in 2014, and their second child was born in 2018. They also have two dogs and two cats.
5. He grew up as an army brat. Rick lived all around the United States as a child, including in Washington D.C. and Hawaii.