Welcome to Inside Survivor’s 50 For 50, a semi-regular feature highlighting 50 former castaways who we think should be considered for a spot on Survivor 50. In a snake draft, the Inside Survivor team selected ten players each, with the only rule being they couldn’t have played more than twice.
PROFILE
Name: Gary Hogeboom
Age: 65
Season: Guatemala, 2005
Finish: 7th Place
HIGHLIGHTS
Gary Hogeboom began his Survivor: Guatemala tenure as an already-known name. The former NFL quarterback’s appearance was the first of its kind, and there was no telling how someone who was already used to the spotlight would adapt to the game. There had been no precedent for this kind of dynamic yet, and it was Gary’s role in Guatemala that set the standard for how professional athletes could navigate the game in future seasons.
Due to this fact, players were introduced not to Gary Hogeboom but to the humble landscaper Gary Hawkins. Gary, the oldest player in Yaxha, immediately cemented himself as an integral member of his tribe. He was a key member in tribe decisions and someone that his teammates looked to as a clear and decisive leader.
Gary’s luck began to turn once the tribe swap occurred. He was in the minority on his original tribe with Brian Corridan and Amy O’Hara, and by the time the merge hit, he was the only one of them left. This result was not by accident, as it was a combination of his team contributions and social skills that kept him in the game for so long. Yet even when he was at the bottom, and it was very clear to everyone that he was at the bottom, Gary never gave up.
Nowhere is Gary’s resilience more apparent than the moment he is most known for, being the first player in Survivor history to find a hidden immunity idol. When adversary Judd Sergeant told the contestants that the idol was “definitely on the ground,” Gary was able to find it by following Judd and noticing that he was looking in trees.
This idol saved Gary when he needed it most, and Bobby Jon Drinkard was voted out ahead of him. He was able to buy himself even more time after the idol play when the majority decided to blindside one of their own, Jamie Newton. Unfortunately, Gary was only able to make it work for so long, and he was voted out in 7th place after he failed to secure another individual immunity win.
WHY HE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED
Sure, Gary is probably an unexpected pick for many. He’s from an old-school season that only has one returnee (Danni Boatwright on Winners at War), and not one of the more popular seasons either. But what is a returnee season without some unexpected casting choices? Of all the old-school players who are long overdue for a return, Gary has a surprising number of record-breaking statistics that make him stand out from his Guatemalan counterparts.
As I previously stated, Gary is the first player in Survivor history to find an idol, back when the idea was a foreign concept to both players and fans. Even better, he played his idol successfully, as he would have been going home that night had he not had the idol in his possession. He proved that idols were not just a gimmick to keep viewers interested; they were here to stay, and they could have a huge impact on the trajectory of the game.
Despite what Russell Hantz might tell you, he is also the first player to find an idol without the direct help of a clue. He had to follow Judd around in order to secure his safety. In the history of idol plays, was this the most dramatic and memorable of moments? Perhaps not, but it set a strong precedent for the drama that can be created by a hidden immunity idol.
Gary was also a history maker for another, perhaps more obvious reason; he was the first former NFL player to compete on the show. There have been other professional athletes competing in future seasons, but I’d argue that Gary has been the best iteration of a player balancing their minor celebrity status with the social dynamics of Survivor (with perhaps one exception… but we’ll discuss that in another article).
At 65, Gary may be on the older side of the potential returnees, but that doesn’t mean he’s still not a quality choice for a second chance. He’s a surprising game-changer in Survivor history, one that I believe can go far on any season he is a part of. Just because he is an underrated player doesn’t mean he isn’t a player worth advocating for. For this superfan, Gary Hogeboom is an underappreciated figure within Survivor’s history who more than earned his spot on its 50th season.
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