Survivor: Redemption Island’s Steve Wright: Phillip is ‘Loony’

People.com :    Former NFL player Steve Wright’s athletic past would seem to make him a perfect candidate to weather the grueling conditions on Survivor, but on Day 31, the 51-year-old’s body had had enough.

Wright lost the four-way duel on Redemption Island and became the third member of this season’s Jury.

Now at home in Huntington Beach, Calif., the former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle opens up to PEOPLE about dealing with the elements, how his faith got him through the season, and all about “crazy” Phillip.

You looked completely physically drained during the duel.My big body just needed more nutrition than I was getting and the night I ended up at Redemption Island, there was no room in the shelter. Thank God it wasn’t raining because I just slept on the beach on the rocks.

You just are a zombie. You are just drained in every aspect – emotionally, physically, and mentally. It’s like, ‘Give me a break – I can’t throw a ball to break some plates?’ It was pretty sad to watch.

Did you ever play up your “weakness” for strategy?No. I wear my feeling on my sleeve and if I was saying that I was feeling it, I was feeling it. But I’d also get out of it pretty quick; it just depends on when it was.

It’s an emotional, physical, and mental roller coaster the whole time you’re out there. One minute you’re starving and the next you are saying, ‘Okay, I’m just not going to eat today.’ And you just deal with it and get over it. It’s pretty amazing just keeping the faith and setting short term goals and getting through it.