RETIRED Dallas Cowboys safety Danny McCray made his debut on season 41 of Survivor.
The season’s two-day premiere welcoming 18 contestants aired September 22, 2021.
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What was his process on the lead-up to the show?
McCray binged the first twenty seasons of Survivor before he was accepted as a contestant. McCray retired from the NFL in 2015. McCray discovered the show by accident, while scrolling through a streaming site.
He selected season 16, and was immediately interested. He watched the episodes back to back through season 35.
The game’s challenge attracted him and he decided to become a contestant.
How did he prepare?
Survivor was originally scheduled to film season 41 at Fiji in 2020. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the producers to cancel filming. McCray used this time to train his body and mind for the extreme pressures and stress that it would face under these conditions.
McCray began training in 2019 with Mike Woicik (ex-coach for strength and conditioning at the Dallas Cowboys). McCray was given a training manual by Woicik in 2019 that outlined how to keep fit after the pandemic.
McCray was concerned about his ability to survive on very little food. He decided to cut back on his intake to help train his mind and body to eat less.
He ate brown sugar, oatmeal, pecans, bananas and brown sugar throughout the day, then used his workout program as a guide to determine how his body responded. McCray stated that if McCray experienced an adverse reaction or felt tired or angry, McCray would continue his training.
Which team did Danny McCray represent?
McCray graduated from Louisiana State University, where he was a safety and linebacker. McCray graduated in 2010 from Louisiana State University and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an Undrafted Free Agent.
He was a safety with the Cowboys up to 2013, when he signed an one-year contract for the Chicago Bears. He signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys after one year. However, he retired in 2015, just one year later.
McCray was a successful player with two interceptions and one forced fumble. He also had one sack.
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