Rick Devens on ‘Survivor' 50: ‘The Old Rick Came'
Rick Devens’ time on Survivor 50 was just as animated as the first time he played, during season 38 in 2018. Complete with fake idols and chaos, he came into 50 trying to play it cool-but the old Devens fans came to know (and some love) was always lurking. “The whole first half of the game was me trying to keep Chaotic Rick in check,” he told Newsweek. “And then when all of that started to fall apart, it was just go with what you know. The old Rick came.”
He made strong alliances with Christian Hubicki and Emily Flippen, and maybe a few enemies as well (insert Jonathan Young’s name here). His biggest point of pride this season wasn’t even the fake idol, it was a calculated moment of chaos at Tribal before the Mr. Beast visit, when he threw Young, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick and Joe Hunter under the bus. “I did it so clinically and so well,” he says. “I was able to throw it all out there and then sit back and let Cirie start asking follow-up questions, let Tiff [Ervin] start asking follow-up questions. I was really, really proud of that.”
But in the end, it wasn’t enough for Devens to make it to the finale, voted out alongside Survivor legend Cirie Fields. And honestly? He wouldn’t have had it any other way. “A lot of us went out there planning on playing different games, and I think person by person, everyone fell back into the game they played before,” he says. “I had so much fun playing the first time, and I had even more fun out there once I became the old Rick. Maybe this is just the way it’s meant to be.”
He has no regrets. “I went down swinging with Christian. I went down swinging with Emily, like my people,” he says. “I’m super proud of how everything turned out.”
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Editor’s Note: This conversation has been edited and condensed for publication.
How are you feeling?
Great. I’m feeling so pleased with how everything turned out. I have no complaints.
You definitely came and brought the Rick that we all know. It felt like you were trying to keep it down at first, but then you just had to let it out. Did you experience that?
Absolutely. The whole first half of the game was me trying to keep Chaotic Rick in check. I was in the numbers, it was all good, I had a strong alliance. But when all that started to fall apart, even then I’m doing my backup plans. I still had to do the fake idol, I still had to do these things to give myself life. When all of that started to fall apart, it was just go with what you know. The old Rick came.
What do you think ultimately hurt your game and resulted in you being voted out?
That’s curious. It’s easy to say when I went for the fake idol and everyone saw that, that’s when I first became a big target. And then I kept building on that, like when I threw Steph under. But I also think those things were kind of necessary. I think I was either going to go out quietly and slowly, or go out with a big bang. Really, when Cirie picked a side and it wasn’t Christian, Emily and I, I felt like all of a sudden we became expendable and we were going to have a lot of trouble getting to the end. And I’m not going to get to the end and have nothing to say. I think some of the things that put a target on me are also the reason I was a threat to win the game. It just kind of is what it is.
Aubry Bracco is playing a quieter game by comparison. How loud you play is a real decision. Did you ever feel like going loud was putting a bigger target on your back?
bsolutely, going loud puts a bigger target on me. But it’s interesting you say Aubry, because if I had a Devens with me, I could play the Aubry game-she had a Devens with her. I feel like I saved Aubry by pulling out that fake idol and keeping the two of us safe when we were tied together. I get the target on me, but I also get credit for that move. And then the night before Mr. Beast came out, when I threw Steph, Jonathan and Joe under the bus, I feel like if I hadn’t done that, Aubry would have gone home that night. So I feel like I saved Aubry twice. It’s easy for Aubry to play an under-the-radar game because she has a Devens there taking care of business. I had to look after myself, and that makes me a target because I’m making the moves. But I’m a guy who makes moves.
What do you consider your biggest move this season?
The one I’m actually most proud of, gameplay wise, was when I threw Steph, Jonathan and Joe under the bus. I did it so clinically and so well, including taking responsibility and being honest, like, “Ozzy [Lusth], I was comfortable sending you home. Rizo [Velovic], I mentioned you as a target.” I really flipped the script. That wasn’t my most fun move, but survivor strategy-wise I was very proud of it. You kind of see Steph not wanting to take ownership for any of it, and that doesn’t play in her favor. But I was able to throw it all out there and then sit back and let Cirie start asking follow-up questions, let Tiff start asking follow-up questions. I was really proud of that. And then of course the fake idol, people Monday morning quarterback how I should have played it, but it worked. I don’t think anyone else could have pulled that off. So those are moments I’m very proud of.
Are there any moments you’re not so proud of?
There are definitely some votes I would have done differently, but not proud of? No. I’m pretty proud of everything. I went down swinging with Christian, I went down swinging with Emily, like my people. I’m an egomaniac, I guess. Obviously if I could do it all over again I want to win, so I’d try a different way. But I’m super proud of how everything turned out.
I honestly can’t imagine you playing any other way. I think people would have been disappointed if you’d played a quiet game.
That was one of the really fun, interesting things about 50, a lot of us went out there planning on playing different games, and I think person by person, everyone fell back into the game they played before. Ozzy, Cirie, Coach [Benjamin Wade], myself, Christian, we all fell into our old selves. Do people change? Can people change? Or are we just locked into how we are? I found that really fascinating. But I also had so much fun playing the first time, and I had even more fun out there once I became the old Rick. Maybe this is just the way it’s meant to be.
And going home in the same episode as Cirie, if you’re going to go out with anybody, that’s not a bad person to go out with.
The fanboy in me is going, you went out between Ozzy and Cirie, in what fantasy Survivor world am I living in that that happened? And you’re right about Cirie. I was never planning on working with her, and it took her all of one day to win me over to her side. Going into the game before I ever talked to her, I thought if she makes it to the end she wins just because she’s got such a big target. But then being out there with her, every day I was in the game I was with Cirie, because we swapped together and then we merged together. I never had a day on the island where I wasn’t with Cirie. And it’s absolutely incredible in person seeing her navigate everything. Watching back on TV and not knowing that these other relationships were what they were, and that she was pulling these strings, she’s wildly impressive.
You get asked to be on 50, you know it’s going to be stacked with iconic players and it’s a real chance at winning. But how much of you out there was also just that fan at home geeking out that you’re next to Ozzy and Cirie?
As a competitor, it faded real quick. Day one it was like, wow, Ozzy, Jenna [Lewis Dougherty], Cirie-pretty cool, awesome. But then the only other time it happened, and I can be honest about this, is Colby [Donaldson]. I kind of nerded out when we merged and I could have a one-on-one with him, because he was just like this rancher dude and I wanted to hear about Curb Your Enthusiasm, what it was like when he was on that. I really turned into kind of a Rizo for about 30 minutes talking to Colby. Whereas I feel like I never did that with any of the others, partly because I’m not a Survivor encyclopedia. I remember loving Cirie and remember loving Ozzy, but I only remember little moments, not the whole thing. But yeah, I did kind of nerd out on Colby a little bit.
With Emily and Christian gone, who are you rooting for now?
When I left the game, I was going, man, I hope Cirie gets there. In the game I really loved Jonathan, he and I had a fun relationship where we were at each other, not working together, actively working against each other, but I liked being around him. We’d joke around. When he was following me around for the idols, I had a good time. Same with Rizo, we weren’t working together but I love the kid, he’s great. I really appreciated that Tiff tried to fight for me, and I felt real close with Aubry ever since we were tied together. I’m going to vote for who I think played the best game, whether we were working together or not. But I was hoping Aubry or Tiff plays the best game, that would be great, to be able to vote for them. As a season 50 season, we need to get the best person up there winning the game.
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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 1:51 PM.