Sam Phalen is among the latest to join the Survivor island for Season 47, and fans are eager to learn more about him.
24-year-old Sam Phalen comes to the Survivor island from his current residence of Nashville, Tennessee, hailing from the hometown of Schaumburg, Illinois.
5 Things to Know About Sam Phalen
Sam Phalen is an NFL Reporter
Sam Phalen has been a beat reporter for A to Z Sports since 2022, focussing on the Tennessee Titans and co-hosting the morning show.
According to his author bio on A to Z Sports, Phalen provides "informative and engaging content from inside the locker room" for Titans fans.
Before his recent years at A to Z Sports, Phalen covered Vanderbilt Men's Basketball for Rivals.com and Chicago sports media outlets.
During an interview with Parade to promote his run on Survivor, Phalen discussed some details of his job. He noted how he finds himself "getting [his] microphone in with different players," covering the latest events, and sharing his articles, podcasts, and opinions with the sports world:
"So I am boots on the ground in the locker room, getting my microphone in with different players, side conversation, schmoozing the quarterback to get the latest update about an injury, reporting the news to all the fans out there. And then firing off articles, podcasts, my takes about what's going on in the sports world. So, yeah, it's a dream come true as far as a job is concerned."
Sam Phalen Graduated From Lipscomb University
According to an article from Herd Media, Sam Phalen is an alumnus of Lipscomb University (located in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee) where he "grew up with a dream" to appear in Survivor.
He explained to Herd Media how his experience at college has helped in his career to be "able to do a little bit of everything" and "be prepare for anything:"
“I think part of my college experience at Lipscomb that has helped me in my professional life was being able to do a little bit of everything. One of the pieces of advice I got during my time at Lipscomb was to be well rounded — to be prepared for anything, to be prepared for whatever comes your way and have a diverse skill set.”
Sam is Engaged to His Fiancé Annie Heath
In a post on Instagram in October 2023, Sam Phalen confirmed his engagement to fiancé Annie Heath, saying how he "can't wait for forever with [her]:"
"You are the most graceful and captivating person I’ve ever met. I can’t wait for forever with you. Thank you for saying yes."
Heath is a wedding and destination photographer, whose website notes her "passion for travel, love, and telling other people's stories."
The NFL reporter stated in Survivor Season 47, which was filmed over summer 2024, that he is engaged and "getting married next year."
Phalen even told Entertainment Weekly how he is "inspired by her patience, loving nature, loyalty, and the joy she carries with her every day:"
EW: "Who is your biggest inspiration and why?"
Phalen:"My fiancé. She is my best friend. I’m inspired by her patience, loving nature, loyalty, and the joy she carries with her every day. She makes me want to be the best version of me."
Sam Applied to Survivor Before, But Didn't Get In
During the same Herd Media interview discussed earlier, Sam Phalen revealed he previously applied for Survivor but was rejected.
He noted his experience of Survivor as something that “really bonded [his] family together:”
“It was always us sitting on the couch, or me sitting on the floor, cross legged, watching Survivor. It just kind of became something that really bonded my family together. Even as I got older… I was always really able to lean back on Survivor to connect me to my immediate family.”
Phalen added how he still calls his brother weekly to discuss the latest episodes before stating how he has always had the show “in [his] sights as a dream:”
“I have always…had Survivor in my sights as a dream,” Phalen said, “something that I would love to do to test myself, [to] be the ultimate competition of mental and physical abilities and adaptability.”
He revealed his first application was sent at 18 or 19 years old but was clear it “wasn’t a very good application:”
“I always wanted to apply, and I had first submitted an application when I was 18 or 19 years old. It wasn’t a very good application, probably didn’t stand me much chance of getting on the show, but it was always something that I had wanted to do.”
Sam Wants to See Suits' Harvey Specter on Survivor
Speaking with Parade, Sam Phalen was asked which fictional character he would bring to the Survivor island.
After suggesting how the Titans may “be able to help [him] out there,“ he then revealed his desire to bring Gabriel Macht’s Suits icon Harvey Specter to the island.
Parade: “Finally, if you could bring a celebrity or a fictional character out for a Loved Ones visit, who would it be and why? Is Ryan Tannehill limping out to join you?
Phalen: Definitely none of the Titans would be able to help me out here. Here's a weird one that I just randomly thought of. Give me a Harvey Specter from Suits.“
He added how he can be “vulnerable with [his] emotions” and explained how Specter Would be able to help him power through those feelings:
“I'm very vulnerable with my emotions. I hope to use that to my advantage to connect with people. And I think Harvey Specter would be the guy to come in and tell me, "Hey, knock it off. It's game time. We got to slit some throats. We got to win this game." And I just think it would be the right level of push that I need to make sure, "Hey, we're not taking allies to the end if we're going to lose to them. We're not joking around and settling for second, third, or fourth place. We're coming here to be the Sole Survivor."
Where to Follow Sam Phalen on Social Media
Sam Phalen can be found on social media on both X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram:
Instagram: Sam Phalen
X: Sam Phalen
