Challenges: MPF percentile
1
Seasons: 1 | Days played: 12 | Wins: 0 | Jury: 0
- Survivor 9: Vanuatu (2004) - 13th place, 6th out.
- Voted out in Episode 5, "Earthquakes and Shakeups" (Day 12).
| Challenge stats | Tribal council stats | Jury stats | Overall stats | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | ChW | ChA | ChW% | VFB | VAP | TCA | TC% | wTCR | JVF | TotJ | JV% | SurvSc | SurvAv |
| S9: Vanuatu | 0.25 | 2.06 | 0.12 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 0.70 | 2.10 | - | - | - | 0.82 | 2.35 |
| Career | 0.25 | 2.06 | 0.12 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 0.70 | 2.10 | - | - | - | 0.82 | 2.35 |
Travis 'Bubba' Sampson - Performance ranks
Tribal: VFB% percentile
77%
Tribal: rVAP percentile
32%
Performance ranks are a quick visual measure of the contestant's season vs. historical data from all prior contestants, in three basic (scorable) categories:
1. Performance in individual challenges (MPF), as a measure of "physical game";
2. Ability to vote people out consistently (VFB%, or VFB/TCA), or "strategic game"; and
3. Ability to avoid being voted against (rVAP, or TCA-VAP) - which scales better than a percentage would - for "social/strategic game."
See also: Full glossary for all these abbreviations.
Travis 'Bubba' Sampson - Challenge record
S9:
Vanuatu 
Tribal/team challenge record (2-for-8; 1 sit-out):
- Vanuatu Ep. 1 RC/IC: "Fire Starter" - Performs well himself, but thanks to Chris's allergy to balance beams, Lopevi loses.
- Vanuatu Ep. 2 RC: "By the Numbers" - One of seven Lopevis not to get across; Lopevi loses again.
- Vanuatu Ep. 2 IC: "Four on the Floor" - Blindfolded, paired with Brady, collects pieces, and finally, Lopevi wins!
- Vanuatu Ep. 3 RC: "Great Escape Run" - Participates; Lopevi wins reward.
- Vanuatu Ep. 4 RC: "Remembrance" - Lopevi loses.
- Vanuatu Ep. 4 IC: "Tribal Tiles" - Lopevi loses again.
- Vanuatu Ep. 5 RC: "Dive Masters" - Now switched to new Yasur, where he sits out asYasur promptly loses.
- Vanuatu Ep. 5 IC: "Outwit, Outplay, Outrig" - Paired with Ami in retrieving the frame, and paddling (poorly) at the end; new Yasur loses big once again.
Individual challenge record (0-for-1): (Mean % finish: 19%)
- Vanuatu Ep. 3 IC: "Great Escape Run" - Shown retrieving just one rung (tie-7th/8).
Hero challenge/ duel record (0-for-0):
- Vanuatu: None.
Career totals - challenges
| Wins: | 2 |
| Played: | 8 |
| Win%: | 0.25 |
| Sat out: | 1 |
| Wins: | 0 |
| Played: | 1 |
| Win%: | 0.00 |
| Mean% Finish: | 19% |
| Wins: | 0 |
| Played: | 0 |
| Win%: | - |
| Mean% Finish: | - |
Travis 'Bubba' Sampson - Tribal Council record
S9:
Vanuatu 
Idols held/played (0/0):
- Vanuatu: None.
VFB - Votes for the person booted (3/4):
| Tribal | Voted | Boot (totals) | VFB? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ep1 | Brook | Brook Geraghty (voted out, 5-3-1) | Yes |
| Ep3 | J.P. | John Palyok (voted out, 5-3) | Yes |
| Ep4 | Brady | Brady Finta (voted out, 6-1) | Yes |
| Ep5 | Rory | Travis Sampson (voted out, 6-1) | - |
| 4 | TOTALS | 3 | |
VAP - Votes against (6):
- Vanuatu, Ep. 5: Six votes, from Scout, Eliza, Ami, Leann, Lisa, and Rory (voted out, 6-1).
Jury votes made (0/0):
- Vanuatu: None.
Career totals - Tribal Council
| Advantages held/played: | 0 |
| Idols found: | 0 |
| Idols played: | - |
| Votes voided: | - |
| VFB: | 3 |
| Tribals: | 4 |
| VAP: | 6 |
| Made: | 0 |
| For winners: | - |
| Received: | - |
Travis 'Bubba' Sampson - Pictures
S9:
Vanuatu -
Vanuatu intro shot -
Vanuatu intro shot -
On the boat, pre-arrival, Ep1 -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep1 RC/IC -
Watching the Lopevis complete the table maze -
Telling JP he's a threat, early Ep2 -
Waiting as Brady navigates the bar, Ep2 RC -
Disbelief at another Lopevi loss -
Crashing into Julie & Mia, Ep2 IC -
Adventures with Brady -
Lopevi listens to Probst, prior to the immunity part of the Ep3 RC/IC -
Starting line, immunity leg -
Digging -
Lopevi, Ep3 Tribal -
Getting yelled at by Rory, Ep4 IC -
Lopevi... trailing -
Hmmm -
Talking John K. into voting with the Fat Five alliance, Ep4 -
Lopevi, Ep4 Tribal Council -
More Ep4 Tribal -
Yep, it's an individual game -
Whoa, was that an earthquake? Ep5 -
Newly swapped, getting a front-row seat for the Ep5 RC -
Untying the frame (with Ami), Ep5 IC -
And now, we wait -
More waiting -
Praying with Rory for an outcome they both know isn't coming -
Sigh. Snuffed, Day 12 (Episode 5)
Travis 'Bubba' Sampson - Interviews
S9:
Vanuatu Pre-game interviews
- None found.
Post-game interviews
- Ellen Crean at CBSNews.com (10/14/04): "Bubba Took A Chance And Lost" (Early Show interview)
- Angel Cohn at TVGuide.com (10/19/04): "Survivor's Bubba Defends 'Fat Five'"
- SurvivorOz podcast interview (7/3/12): "Travis 'Bubba' Sampson Interview"
Travis 'Bubba' Sampson - Bio
S9:
Vanuatu From his official CBS Vanuatu bio page:
"Travis 'Bubba' Sampson was born and raised in Blountville, Tennessee, where he spent a lot of time working on his grandfather's farm. As a child, Sampson spent a lot of his time with his grandfather, watching wrestling and The Price is Right. He attended Sullivan Central High School, where he played football all four years. He then attended three years of college at Northeast State Technical Community College in Blountville. He obtained employment at a sales plant and eagerly pursued a career in wrestling on the side. Sampson was granted a tryout match with the National Championship Wrestling (NCW) in Cornelia, Georgia. NCW became the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) when Sampson began doing shows for the World Championship Wrestling and then with World Wrestling Entertainment. He was known to the wrestling community as 'Romeo Bliss.'
Two years after Sampson was married, he decided to retire from wrestling to make his family his priority. In 2002, Sampson attended Walter State Police Academy, where he received a certificate of basic law enforcement in officer education. He currently lives in Johnson City, Tennessee, with his wife, Jennifer and their four boys, Aaron, 11; Erick, 8; Trevor, 7 and Gabriel, 2 ½.
Sampson currently works in loss prevention at Wal-Mart and also coaches football at the Johnson City Boys and Girls Club. He describes himself as aggressive, persistent and outspoken and enjoys critiquing other people's flaws, showing off when weight training and playing video games. He says his proudest accomplishment is his four sons. His wife is his hero because she went through 38 months of pain to bring them all into this world. He is a member of the NRA, Civil War Historical Society and Police Benevolent Association and is very active with his church.
Travis believes he will bring his leadership, aggressiveness and inventiveness to Survivor: Vanuatu, and his primary reason for participating is to live a life that isn't so ordinary. He believes that he could be the Sole Survivor because he has 'learned how to adapt to different people and different situations. I can schmooze anybody, become their best friend then take their butt ... and vote them off.'
Sampson's birth date is February 19, 1971."