Meet Sam Phalen: Getting to know the Survivor 47 castaway, Tennessee Titans reporter
Survivor 47 is just a few episodes in, but the character development and drama is in full swing.Episode two saw one castaway tie for the second most confessionals in a non-finale episode in Survivor history. That castaway is, A to Z Sports' Titans reporter Sam Phalen. Getting to know Sam Phalen of Survivor 47 Sam Phalen […]
Survivor 47 is just a few episodes in, but the character development and drama is in full swing.
Episode two saw one castaway tie for the second most confessionals in a non-finale episode in Survivor history. That castaway is, A to Z Sports' Titans reporter Sam Phalen.
Getting to know Sam Phalen of Survivor 47
Sam Phalen is one of 18 castaways featured in Survivor 47, which premiered September 18 on CBS and Paramount+. Sam resides in Nashville, TN where he works as a Tennessee Titans reporter and show host for A to Z Sports, a digital media company rapidly expanding across the NFL and college football.
Phalen also found an idol in Episode 2, checking off a key item on his Survivor bucket list.
Early life in Chicago
The 24-year-old who has always had dreams of being on Survivor is set to fulfill those dreams after being picked to do so out of thousands of people who applied to go on one of the most popular TV shows of all time. Phalen grew up in the Chicago area with two things always on his mind during his childhood — sports and Survivor.
He grew up a Chicago White Sox baseball fan and a Chicago Bears football fan. He also grew up involved in many activities, including sports and theatre.
How Sam Phalen got into Sports Journalism
After his baseball career ended, Phalen saw an opportunity to stay in the sports world by moving to Nashville to be one of the first to join the Sports Media program at Lipscomb University. While at Lipscomb, Phalen gained experience covering Vanderbilt Men's Basketball for Rivals and worked on the media team under former NFL Super Bowl quarterback and now University of Alabama Birmingham head coach, Trent Dilfer for Lipscomb Academy Football.
Sam Phalen: Tennessee Titans reporter
Phalen joined A to Z Sports as a Tennessee Titans beat reporter and show host in the spring of 2022 shortly after graduating from Lipscomb University. Sam appears on several of A to Z's platforms including the Nashville Morning Show, Titan Gameday Shows, Primetime, Titans at 2, and more.
His natural energy and passion for the day-to-day grind of sports talk and coverage immediately helped him connect with the already strongly established Nashville/Titans audience base of A to Z Sports.
During the NFL season, Sam covers the Titans from all aspects, from practices, to open locker room sessions, press conferences, and the games. In the offseason, the grind continues with free agency and NFL Draft coverage. In 2023, Phalen was part of A to Z Sports' coverage of the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and the NFL Combine, in Indianapolis, Indiana, in addition to his regular responsibilities.
He loves doing what he does and has a passion for sports, especially football. Now, he's going to bring his passion to the beaches of the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji.
Childhood introduction to Survivor
Everyone has a story of how they fell in love with Survivor, and Phalen is no different. His love for the show started at a young age, with his family.
"Survivor was a staple in my household growing up," Phalen told A to Z Sports' Austin Stanley. "It was part of our family time. We got very into it, and it captivated me at a very young age. I always used to tell my parents, 'Hey, I'm going to do that someday. Someday I will be on Survivor.'"
What made Sam Phalen want to apply
Phalen, like many young kids, wanted to ever since he was young, but, you have to be 18 to apply. So, he waited, and when that didn't work out, he didn't give up.
"I applied when I was 18, with an application that was probably not really worth submitting. I kept making videos every single year without really submitting them. Then last year I thought this was the one. Something triggered me in my brain like 'I have pretty good life experiences now that would help me in the game.'"
What is Sam Phalen's mindset/strategy going in?
"I think you have to be yourself," He told Nashville's News Channel 5. "You can't really be anyone else trying to play Survivor. But there is a woman named Michele Fitzgerald, who I have always looked up to watching Survivor, she's the winner of season 32, I love the grit and kind of the little bit of attitude that she plays the game with, and I kind of resonated with that watching the show as a fan. So, that's kind of what I wanted to bring to the island as well."
Phalen's journey to a Survivor castaway is different than any other castaway's, and now we will have to see the rest of it unfold week by week.
