Who is Davie Rickenbacker from ‘Survivor: David vs. Goliath’ and who was he an alternate for?

Davie Rickenbacker is a name that has gone down in history when it comes to the Emmy Award-winning television show, Survivor, capturing the hearts of viewers and contestants alike with his wit, charm, and sense of humor.

Competing on Survivor: David vs Goliath back in 2018 — and barely falling short of finale night — Survivor superfans are undoubtedly aware of the one and only Davie Rickenbacker and his journey on the beloved competition series.

For those who are unfamiliar with the one-of-a-kind castaway, just keep scrolling to find out for yourself everything you need to know…

Who is Davie Rickenbacker from Survivor: David vs. Goliath?

At the time of competing on Survivor: David vs Goliath, Davie Rickenbacker was 30 years old and working as a social media manager, ultimately securing him a spot on the David tribe alongside Pat Cusack, Jessica Peet, Bi Nguyen, Lyrsa Torres, Elizabeth Olson, Carl Boudreaux, Gabby Pascuzzi, Christian Hubicki, and Nick Wilson.

In his official biography for the show, the South Carolina native gave quite a few fun facts about himself, admitting that his pet peeve is when people call him Dave or David, his inspiration is Rick Grimes of The Walking Dead, his favorite castaways are Jeremy Collins, Tony Vlachos, and Adam Klein, his hobbies include swimming, hiking, biking, cosplaying, and playing Scrabble, and more.

Deeming himself to be “uncommon, adventurous, and calculating,” Davie is truly a one-of-a-kind castaway, however, securing a spot on Survivor was not as easy as it might have seemed…

Who was Davie Rickenbacker from Survivor: David vs. Goliath an alternate for?

After Austin Li Coon admitted that he was an alternate for Survivor 45 last night (December 20), longtime host Jeff Probst shared that only a few alternates have actually made it onto the show, one being Tina Wesson from Survivor: The Australian Outback, Survivor: All Stars, and Survivor: Blood vs Water, and another being Davie Rickenbacker from Survivor: David vs Goliath.

Because of this, fans of the franchise were left with just one burning question: Who was Davie an alternate for?

Rumor has it that Jared Fields from Big Brother 25 — who doubles as the son of Cirie Fields from Survivor: Panama, Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: Heroes vs Villains, and Survivor: Game Changers — was supposed to compete on Survivor: David vs Goliath, however, he backed out at the very last minute due to medical reasons. Because of this, Davie was his replacement, ultimately securing his spot on the beloved competition series once and for all.

Despite not being a part of the initial cast, Davie’s journey on the show was impressive nonetheless, coasting his way well past the merge, ultimately being eliminated at the final six.

Despite competing on Survivor: David vs Goliath back in 2018, the 36-year-old is still a popular figure within the franchise, sharing a great deal of Survivor-related posts on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter), spending time with other castaways often, attending watch parties, and more.

While he did not take home the title of “Sole Survivor” and the million-dollar cash prize — ultimately falling short to winner Nick Wilson — to watch Davie Rickenbacker’s journey on the beloved competition series from start to finish, fans of the franchise can stream the entirety of Survivor: David vs Goliath via Paramount Plus now.