His intel comes courtesy of the new podcast “Surviving Snyder,” a show that interviews former players about their love of football as well as reality TV. The podcast is hosted by two Survivor alumni in Rick Devens (season 38) and Brendan Shapiro (season 36), as well as stalwart reporter and writer Dalton Ross. For their first episode, it only made sense to bring on the man who wore a New England Patriots cap in his first of six total seasons (more on that below). And while Rob had plenty to say about his years as a Tom Brady fan, he also opened up about some juicy Survivor stories never heard before. Here are some of the highlights from Boston Rob’s interview. And be sure to check out “Surviving Snyder,” now available on all major podcast platforms.
How did Boston Rob get his nickname?
It’s weird to think of Rob without the “Boston” moniker attached. But back during his very first season, 2002’s Survivor: Marquesas, he was just Rob. The nickname we know and love only came out of necessity due to another person with the same name on the cast, limo driver Robert DeCanio. “We were at Tribal Council,” he describes. “It was after the merge. And Jeff [Probst] asked a question, ‘Rob, blah, blah, blah.’ And we both started answering at the same time. And he was like, ‘Oh, wow. Two Robs. How are we going to handle this?’ And I didn’t say anything. But Rob DeCanio spoke up and said something like, ‘Well, I’m from New York, so you can call me New York Rob.’ And then I said, ‘I’m from Boston.’ And Jeff goes, ‘Alright, Boston Rob.’ And that was it. From then on, he called me Boston Rob.”
Why did Boston Rob wear a Patriots hat in his first season?
Survivor fans equate Boston Rob with one piece of wardrobe: His Boston Red Sox hat. That little B has followed him across decades of appearances. But his very first season, 2002’s Survivor: Marquesas, had him brandishing a cap with a different New England sports team. And according to Rob, the choice came back to sponsors at the time. “A lot of people don’t realize this,” he explains, “but Survivor had pretty staunch partnerships with different brands. And Reebok was a major brand that sponsored Survivor. At the time, they had the contract with all the NFL teams, but none of the MLB teams. It always switches year to year between those sports leagues. That particular year, Reebok happened to have football.” Though his Patriots hat was not long for this world, Rob did bring up that the team would go on to win the Super Bowl after he appeared on the island with the logo.
What happened to Boston Rob after the game in Survivor: All-Stars?
Boston Rob returned four seasons later with a new hat and a new game plan. This time around, he saw much more success, both strategically and romantically. He linked up with Amber Brkich, now his wife, and made a bond that would take them all the way to Final 2. Unfortunately, that meant Rob had to cut the throats of some friends in the process, which they were none too happy about. In fact, the ire against them was so great that it caused “Romber” to make an early getaway once the season wrapped filming. “We flew on a separate plane,” he says. “It was me, Amber, Jeff, and [Mark] Burnett. We left in the middle of the night. They were so mad. They were even madder when they found out we were gone. It was a short flight, just a couple of hours from Panama through Miami. But the four of us left in the middle of the night on a secret boat.” On top of that, Rob had to go straight from that secretive flight back to his work on the construction site, all within 24 hours. “There was a big snowstorm in Boston when I got home that night. And I promised my boss when I got home if anything was going on that I would call him and go to work. And 24 hours after the final Tribal Council happened, I was in a front-end loader in the city of Boston, plowing streets.”
What made Boston Rob return for Survivor: Redemption Island?
Though Boston Rob has made the most appearances out of any Survivor contestant in the series’ history, it hasn’t been without heavy contemplation. And that started all the way back following the finale of Heroes vs. Villains in 2010. “Truthfully, I was shocked when they called me back for Heroes vs. Villains,” he says. “I never expected in a million years after All-Stars that I would ever play again. But I was like, ‘Alright, here’s a unique opportunity to go out there again. I haven’t won; I really want to win. At the time, Amber would always tell me who the winner was in my own house.” Though it didn’t work out on season 20, it wasn’t long before he would be coming back for season 22. And Boston Rob got the soft offer for his winning season by none other than Mark Burnett. “We were at the finale of Heroes vs. Villains. And Burnett said, ‘What do you think? Are you done? Do you want to go run this back again?’ And I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know.’ He said, ‘If you’re serious, you’ve got to let me know soon.’” The main source of his trepidation was Amber, who was pregnant with their second child at the time. But he was eventually convinced to come on, and he finally got his win.
How was Boston Rob brought on as a mentor for Survivor: Island of the Idols?
Though Boston Rob got his win, obviously, that’s not the end of his Survivor story. But he was ready to move on with his life and growing family away from the island, until Jeff Probst made him a unique offer. “After Redemption Island, that was it,” he says. “All I ever wanted was to win. But then, three years ago, I was working on a house, still working in construction down here in Florida, and Jeff called me. I talk to Jeff occasionally every couple of months, say what’s up. But he called three times in a week, and I knew something was up. He goes, ‘Get this. What we’re thinking about doing is making you a mentor.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know, dude, just not for me. I feel like I’ve done it all.’ And he says, ‘Listen, we’re gonna build a statue of you too.’ And I was like, ‘OK, I’m in.’”
Why did Boston Rob and Sandra live on the Island of the Idols?
From there, Boston Rob was flown out to California to get 3D scans of his face, along with fellow mentor Sandra Diaz-Twine. They were briefed on the idea: Become Survivor mentors on the “Island of the Idols” in season 39, teaching the new batch of contestants how to succeed in the game. During the airing of the season, fans were surprised to see the veterans apparently roughing it on the island, living there together for 36 days. Rob admits he’s the one behind that happening. “Sandra is going to die when she hears this,” he says. “Before we left, Jeff was like, ‘Listen, you guys don’t have to be out there every day. We can drop you off when you need to be there. You don’t have to be starving and living out there.’ And in my infinite wisdom, I was like, ‘No dude. That’s B.S. If I’m gonna talk to talk, I gotta walk the walk.’” Of course, the idea didn’t come without a list of demands from Rob, including unlimited rice and building supplies, fruits and vegetables every day, and access to any rewards the castaways received during the season. “The third day, before we had anything built, it starts pouring rain. And I’m lying in the rain with Sandra, and we’re trying to sleep. She’s like, ‘What did we get ourselves into? This is ridiculous.’ And in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, ‘Man, we could have had it so much easier.’”
Why did Boston Rob not tell Sandra he would be on season 40?
Despite spending all that time together in the pouring rain in season 39, Sandra and viewers alike were shocked when she revealed that Boston Rob didn’t tell her he and Amber would be on the very next season. It fired the two-time winner up enough to gun for Amber during her first visit to Tribal Council. But despite what happened, Rob doesn’t have many regrets for not tipping Sandra off ahead of time. “She knows what she’s doing,” he reasons. “She’s a good player. She has a Rolodex like nobody else. She’s on a daily call with everybody. So it wouldn’t have mattered either way in my mind. I’m not going to give her the opportunity. The only thing is maybe I could have massaged the situation with her had I told her. By not telling her, she got so scared that she had to rally everything against us. I was hoping that she would just see and be smart enough to realize we need each other regardless.”
How did Boston Rob react when his kids visited him on season 40?
Winners at War produced the biggest loved ones visit of all time, as the contestants got to see multiple family members (including children) at the same time. And that love extended to the Edge of Extinction, where Rob and Amber were currently living after having been voted out. And according to Boston Rob, it was a surprise he never saw coming. “Once I ended up on the Edge of Extinction,” he recalls, “I thought the kids wouldn’t be coming out for the family visit. I knew my parents and Amber’s parents were watching them. I went to the producer, and I was like, ‘Dude, do me a solid. Just go to Jeff and tell him to have somebody call home and let them know it’s not happening. Just so they’re not sitting there.’ Because it’s horrible sitting there weeks on end. And that afternoon, he came back and was like, ‘I talked to him. He said you’re good.’ And I thought that was really nice. Then two hours later, they all showed up on the beach. They knew they had me!” He continues, “By far out of all the seasons, out of all the things on the show, having those kids come out there, that was the best. It felt everything had come full circle. I owe a lot to the show. I was a 25-year-old kid when I first went out there. I’m 45 now, and it’s been amazing. My relationship was born out of it. My family was born because of the show. And here they are. It was the best gift I could have ever gotten.” Next, read our interview with Survivor 40 winner Tony Vlachos.
