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Survivor season 44 is set to premiere on Wednesday, March 1, at 8 pm ET on CBS and will showcase a new batch of castaways as they get ready to spend the next 26 days on a lone island to win the title of 'Sole Survivor' and the grand prize money.
One of the contestants set to compete in the upcoming season is Brandon Cottom, a former NFL player who used to play for the Seattle Seahawks before retiring. He currently works as a security specialist and lives in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
Meet Brandon Cottom ahead of his appearance on Survivor season 44
One of the 18 castaways set to compete in the upcoming season of Survivor is a former athlete who now works as a security specialist for Wednesday Night Lights.
30-year-old Brandon Cottom, the Survivor season 44 contestant, is a speed coach who trains young children to get faster and stronger. He wants to be on the show since it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and an adventure. He added that he wants to learn more about himself while on the show and wants to create a better future for himself and his family.
He added that it’s an opportunity to detach himself from “civilization” and take away all distractions of social media to be able to focus on himself and who he wants to be. He further stated:
"Survivor kind of pulls that out of everybody, whether they like it or not. I mean, that’s really the reason I’m here. I want to see what I’m made of and see what I’m capable of because I’ve never put myself in a position like this."
The upcoming season 44 cast member started watching the show when he was a young child with his father, right from its season one. Although the show was a bonding moment for the two, Brandon detached himself when he went to college because he was busy with other adventures.
The one former winner that he identifies with is Jeremy, since he was a physical threat and used certain people as “meat shields” and believes that he might be in a similar situation during season 44. A non-winner that he relates to is Danny since he is also a former NFL player. He added that he loved that Danny went throughout the show without anyone seeing that side of him.
He added:
"I think that’s something I definitely want to carry into the show as well. Because, again, that’s something that I feel puts an unnecessary target on my back. Everybody feels like, “You played in the NFL. You made these millions of dollars and signed these huge contracts."
The upcoming contestant was asked about what prepared him for his time on the show, to which he replied dealing with people on a daily basis, as he manages security guards as part of his job.
He added that just like in real life, people are going to “try and pull the wool” over his eyes and tell him lies to set him up in ways that may not be true, which is why he’ll need to pay attention to everything. This is something the cast member is used to doing in real life.
Tune in on Wednesday, March 1, at 8 pm ET to watch the season premiere of Survivor season 44.
