Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers spotlight: Meet Ryan Ulrich, bellhop
Could a bellhop by the name of Ryan Ulrich be a significant force to be reckoned with on Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers? We love that it’s possible, just as we also love that he brings a lot to the table game-wise. He is clearly a fan of the show and is thrilled to be out there competing for the grand prize, but beyond that he is also one of those people who will stop at nothing in order to win. Hopefully, he serves as the voice of reason for many fans out there in the event things get crazy.
There is a good bit to analyze here in this edition of our CarterMatt Castaway Spotlight series, so let’s go ahead and dive in.
Age – 23.
Location – North Arlington, New Jersey. He’s pretty adjacent to Newark and Jersey City, and by extension not all that far from New York City.
Bio – He’s done a lot of different jobs in his short time on earth, including the aforementioned bellhop profession and also an intern for both sides of Congress. He fits the Hustler label on his tribe very well in that he understands having to work hard to get somewhere. He also loves the show and thinks that he can be underestimated, given that he often is given his profession. (We also never would’ve predicted that one of his heroes is Eli Manning; we don’t know how many are saying that in the Tri-State Area given the Giants start to this season.)
Past Survivor comparison – We love that he referenced Todd Herzog given that this is who he immediately reminded us. Maybe if he and Courtney Yates ever decided to have a kid it could be Ryan. He’s got a little bit of the sly personality and sense of humor that those two have rolled into one person.
Strengths – He’s savvy about the game thanks to having watched since he was six years old. He’s extremely social, likable, and he can probably get people on his side before starting to make some moves against him. This is what we’ve seen some past winners like Jeremy Collins and Sarah Lacina do — they basically constructed it so that people would go against their better judgment to get rid of them, thanks mostly to the friendships that they’d build
Weaknesses – Ryan is a smaller guy when compared to some of the others this season, he’s not going to be some competition beast tearing through challenges left and right. He also may be perceived as a schemer just because he’s a big fan — we wonder why that doesn’t happen more often given how many players in his vein tend to do really well.
Pre-show prediction – We’re not going to say that Ryan will win, but he’s either going to become the likable underdog or the schemer and backstabber of the season. It’s hard to imagine him going home right away, and by the time some of the other players recognize what a threat he is, it may be too late to get him out the door.
How well do you think that Ryan Ulrich is going to do on Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers? Let us know in the comments below!
Also, click here to see some of our other CarterMatt spotlights on this season. You can get more between now and the start of the season by also visiting our Facebook. (Photo: CBS.)