• CBS pre-Ep1 "Russell Swan" ad (8/23/12)
• CBS pre-Philippines "Meet Russell" video (YouTube)
• "Meet Russell" (CBS pre-Samoa video)
• "Survivor - Russell Swan Medical Evacuation" (excerpt from Samoa, YouTube)

• Official CBS Survivor: Philippines bio page
• CBS Survivor: Samoa bio page
• Follow Russ Swan on: facebook; twitter.

Images from the preview, pre-game interviews, and other circa-Ep1 Philippines footage:

Vidcap gallery: Click on thumbnails to expand; use arrow keys to navigate between enlarged pics.

From MSN.com's Meet the Cast gallery (by Minh Nguyen):

"Russell says: 'Going into the game I'm telling myself, "Enjoy it. Have fun!" This is a snapshot in time. Hopefully, good Lord willing, you have a lot to do after this is concluded. Money is always a factor. But winning for me, I've already won because I'm back. There are millions of people who would die to play this game once, and I get to play it twice.'

Jeff Probst says: "Russell Swan fell down in front of me and passed out, eyes rolling in the back of his head, heart plummeting. And I really thought for a moment someone was going to die on this show. For him to get a second shot, I couldn't be happier. He is a great character, a spiritual leader. And I like that.'"

Excerpts from his CBS.com Survivor: Philippines bio page:

"Personal Claim to Fame: Being a good Dad. 
Inspiration in Life: My dad because he was a very ordinary guy, but a damn good dad. He really loved his family and was a perfect example of what a husband should be to his wife, and what a dad should be to his child. 
Hobbies: Riding my motorcycle, mountain biking and skiing. 
Pet Peeves: I hate whiners, materialistic people and generally people who are full of crap. 
3 Words to Describe You: Energetic, optimistic and focused. 
If You Could Have 3 Things on The Island What Would They Be and Why? I would bring my 'Terrible Towel' because I’m an avid Steelers fan and I’m always looking for converts. That’s it! 
Reason for Being on Survivor: First, the game kicked my butt and I want payback. Second, I want to show people that failure doesn’t always mean the end. 
Why You Think You’ll 'Survive' Survivor: I bring strength for the physically demanding challenges. I’m cunning – I know how to get my way without being overly confrontational. And, I have a sense of humor. I love making people laugh. 
Why You Think You Will Be the Sole Survivor: Because I’ve already tried the failure route. I’m gonna take a different path and win this time!"

From his EW.com pre-game interview, by Dalton Ross:

"For many — including host Jeff Probst — Russell Swan’s exit from Survivor: Samoa was the scariest Survivor moment ever, as dehydration caused Swan’s eyes to roll back in his head as he lost consciousness. 'That situation broke me,' the 45-year-old Swan told EW.com while on location. 'I’ve had challenges in my life before, but nothing like that. It challenged the very core of who I was. I always thought, if nothing else, I can always depend on my physical prowess. And after eight applications, waiting 10 years, I finally get on the show only to get carried out on my back. Worst thing I could have ever imagined.'"

Summary of evidence for Russell Swan being on Survivor: Philippines.

- DanieuBleau at Survivor Skills (3/13/12): "There are going to be returnees [on S25]. The contestants began flying out to location yesterday to be part of the show, and at least one of them flew out of Los Angeles."

- Polonium at Sucks (3/19/12, jokingly?): "Two returnees: Two returnees: Mike Skupin; Russell Swan"

- SuperJude (indirectly) at Sucks (4/16/12): "It's Russell Swan, Mike Skupin and Jonathan Penner, like we'd originally heard. It's three tribes, with one returnee on each. The rest are newbies."

- (5/13/12) The official Survivor: Philippines preview video (vidcaps here) mentioned the return of three previously medically evacuated players, and showed Russell (along with people not on S25).

Who is Russell Swan?

From his Survivor: Samoa CBS bio page:
    "At 5'11" and 220 'semi-solid' pounds, this attorney spends his working hours suing companies and individuals who violate environmental laws. In addition to practicing law, Russell enjoys spending time with his wife and five-year-old daughter and watching independent films. 
   Growing up in Pittsburgh, Russell’s father fell victim to layoffs at a local steel mill and struggled to support his family.  Forced to move into Section 8 housing, his parents eventually divorced but the separation did not weaken any of his relationships, including the one he shared with his parents. Russell’s hero is his dad whom he says, 'really loved his family and was a perfect example of what a husband should be to his wife, and what a dad should be to his child.'

   Despite tumultuous circumstances (or as a result of), Russell has been attracted to jobs with responsibilities ranging from environmental protection, minority youth education advocacy and representation for homeless individuals. He is a dedicated father and a loving husband and describes a perfect day as spending time with his daughter and ending the day by 'talking' privately with his wife.

   A passionate man, Russell cannot stand hearing over-generalizations about specific groupings of people and avoids discussing topics relating to race and sexuality because he feels that others usually have a hard time dealing with his conversation style.

   Always prepared to joke and laugh at himself, Russell is willing to go to drastic lengths for a million dollars in order to win including making a vow to cut off his dreadlocks if he wins the title of sole Survivor.

   Currently, Russell resides in Glenside, Pa. His birthday is February 17."