Each weekday, EW will post the answers from a different player.
Today, we hear from Survivor: Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers finalist Ryan Ulrich.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First off, what have you been up to since appearing onSurvivor?
Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images
RYAN ULRICH:Three months after I got back fromSurvivor,I started law school at Northwestern.
So, my life for the last three years has revolved around law school.
It was a challenging yet rewarding experience.
I met a lot of intelligent and great people at Northwestern.
I always felt very fortunate to be there.
What is your proudest moment ever from playingSurvivor?
I remember getting that initial call and going through casting.
I was incredulous to all of it.
Getting my dad, Steve, out there so he could see everything firsthand was a great moment.
I think from a broader perspective, I was proud that I never quit.
There is some security and comfort in that.
What is your biggest regret from yourSurvivorexperience?
I think it is human nature to look back and want to do things differently.
Our season was so hyper-focused on getting Ben out.
He was deemed the biggest threat, and his reputation/threat level practically preceded him.
So, in saying that, the first regret probably comes at final 9.
First time I had been left out of the vote.
I had an idol in my pocket and had a lot of avenues with different people.
Devon and I were [in] lockstep.
I have a couple regrets at final 6.
Certainly, nobody had the threat level or chance of winning as Ben did.
I was devastated that Ben found that idol.
I looked for it, but just didn’t come across it.
The last regret was at final 4, by not trying to get into that fire challenge.
That is ultimately on me as a player.
Looking back, I should have made an effort to get in there.
With that being said, I should have gone for broke and tried to take Ben in fire.
It turned out to be a miscalculation on my end.
So an argument ensued over whether it should be run back, but it was fairly quickly shut down.
I think Ashley would have won anyway, but I dont believe that challenge has appeared since.
The Tribal was absolutely nuts.
At that Tribal, Ben told me he had an idol, and I then told Chrissy and Mike.
Chrissy and I were gonna vote Lauren, but Mike still wanted to vote Ben.
I think that point may have been shown to an extent in the episode.
He then promised to take me on reward that next day if he were to win.
Low and behold, Chrissy and Devon got teamed up and won the challenge.
Unrelated and lighthearted moments, but the back of my pants kept ripping.
It was a daily occurrence.
I only had one pair of pants.
I prefer non-ripped pants.
They legitimately would not stop ripping.
She was very kind, and I am very thankful for her.
Adjusted for starvation, it was a 9.7/10.
How do you feel about the edit you got on the show?
Overall, I was fine with it.
I think it is important to separate the game from the show, as they are two distinct entities.
Do I wish more things were shown from my perspective?
Conversely, there needs to be justification why a player won.
It is ultimately a television show that strives to present a narrative to the audience.
What was it like coming back to regular society after being out there?
Was there culture shock or an adjustment coming back?
I had incredible difficulty with this.
I gained 30 pounds in the course of a month.
I was 18 pounds heavier than my starting game weight.
I had all sorts of medical problems.
I also had some form of neuropathy in my foot, which thankfully subsided.
Whom do you still talk, text, or email with the most from your season?
I talk the most to Ben and Roark.
Ben is my buddy.
We text each other back and forth daily and we talk on the phone at least once a week.
He really is an incredibly kind, modest, and caring person.
I am fortunate to have him in my corner.
Roark is the other person I keep in contact with the most.
She is one of the most intelligent people I have come across.
She is a very impressive person and she is well-deserving of everything she has earned.
I still keep in touch here and there with Devon, Joe, and Patrick.
Devon and I had an incredibly strong bond onSurvivorand we always check in with one another every so often.
I still love talking to Joe when I can.
We get each other and he has a good, quick sense of humor.
Patrick is my buddy, he is somebody who can always make me laugh.
Do you still watchSurvivor,and if so, whats your favorite season you were not on and why?
Not really, no.
It is a tremendous television product and it was incredible to observe in person.
However, the mystique is gone.
The last season I watched in full was 36.
Ill sayPalau.I was 11 and 12 when those seasons were airing and watchingSurvivorat that age was so fun.
I loved watching Koror dominate Ulong, the location was beautiful and it seemed like such an amazing experience.
Whos one player from anotherSurvivorseason you wish you could have played with or against and why?
There’s obviously a handful.
I think Ian fromPalauwould be an awesome person to play with.
He was one of the reasons why I thoughtSurvivorwas so cool.
Carolyn from that same season is somebody I think I could work well with.
I was drawn to season 36 because they filmed right after us, so Kellyn and Donathan.
Rick Devens from 38 seems very witty and likable from what I saw too.
If you could make one change to any aspect ofSurvivor,what would it be and why?
WithSurvivor,I am a purist for the most part.
Though I have always thought that the jury should be sequestered.
I thinkSurvivorhas strayed away from what captivated so many people in the first place.
I do not love all the advantage-heavy gameplay I was always more intrigued by the social politics.
Granted, the show has to evolve and stay fresh, so I understand the thinking behind it.
Finally, would you play again if asked?
If the timing was right, I would consider one more shot.
I have become more protective of myself, so there would be some hesitancy.
Although it seems more distant now than once before, I have not fully relinquished my dream of winningSurvivor.
