Former Ole Miss dual-sport star Quintavius Burdette to compete on Survivor Season 46

Outwit. Outplay. Outlast. That’s the motto for the CBS show “Survivor.” But it could also be the mantra of former Ole Miss football player and track star Quintavius (Q) Burdette who announced Monday he is going to be a contestant on the 46th season of Survivor. 

BIG NEWS!💥 I’m making my way to the island for #Survivor: 46!🏝️ So excited to compete in the greatest game there is, premiering Wednesday, February 28th with 90-minute episodes all season long on @CBS!🎉 pic.twitter.com/fbLrYtBmmt

— Quintavius Burdette (@QMB_4) February 6, 2024

The show premiers later this month on February 28th as it returns to its permanent location, Mamanuca Island, Fiji.

Burdette, who is one of 17 kids, is originally from Senatobia, Mississippi, which is only 50 minutes north of Ole Miss, where he competed from 2012-2015.

In Fiji, he’ll go up against 17 other contestants as he battles his way in yet another competition seeking to finish first as he has for most of his life. 

As a prep star at Sentatobia High School, Q was rated the No. 90 running back in the nation (ESPN.com). His freshman and sophomore years he played defensive back, but his junior year he moved to running back — finishing with 1,235 yards and 16 TDs as he averaged more than 8 yards per carry. His senior year Q played quarterback and participated in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Game.

In his first two seasons of football at Ole Miss, the versatile and talented Burdette played defensive back, but in his last two, he played wide receiver.

At Ole Miss, Quintavius played wide receiver as well as defensive back. (Photo courtesy Quintavius Burdette)

On the track team, the speedy Q competed in the 100 m, 200 m, and 4×100 m relay. He was named Honorable Mention All-American (2015) and ran for Ole Miss in the NCAA Championships as a member of the 4×100 m relay team. 

Ole Miss Track’s Quintavius Burdette at the 2015 SEC Outdoor Championships in Starkville, MS. (Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics)

Q was just as talented in the classroom as on the gridiron or track. He majored in Accounting and earned Dean’s Honor Roll, UMAA Honor Rolle, and SEC Academic Honor Roll while a student at Ole Miss. 

Following his collegiate athletic career, Burdette married Emily Engelken, who played on the Ole Miss volleyball team from 2016-2018. They now live in Memphis, Tennessee where Burdette has become one of the top real estate agents in the country, earning awards for being the No. 2 overall RE/Max agent in the nation recently. 

You may be asking, How did this former Ole Miss star end up in real estate? Well for Q, the answer was simple:

“I wanted something different, so I just googled, “What profession can I make what I’m worth? And real estate popped up,” Burdette explained. 

Here’s Quintavius’ Q&A (courtesy of Survivor): 

Name three of your favorite hobbies: Fishing, riding four-wheelers/jet skis, building houses

List three adjectives that best describe yourself: Brave, polite, proud

How would your friends describe you?I think my friends would describe me as the crazy risk-taking friend. They would probably add that I am the luckiest person they know. Most importantly, they would describe me as someone they can count on.

What risks have you taken in your life, to make a change for the better, even if the outcome wasn’t planned?I started taking risks early in life. Being 1 of 17 kids, you have to take risks. Biggest risk that changed my life for the better would have to be quitting my job to start my career in real estate.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Being the first person in my entire family to graduate college.

What is something we would never know from looking at you? 1) I can eat two boxes of pizza in one sitting by myself. 2) That I can swim. 3) I am a joy to be around (what people tell me).

What past Survivor would you play the game most like? Bits and pieces from a lot of players.

Be sure to watch Q compete on February 28th at 7 p.m. Central Time on CBS. Hotty Toddy!

(Feature image courtesy of Quintavius Burdette)