Monica Culpepper, longtime wife of ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Brad Culpepper, is among the 18 contestants announced today on the next edition of CBS' hit reality TV show Survivor.

At age 41, Monica Culpepper has been married for nearly 20 years. The two met before Brad Culpepper was drafted into the NFL; he retired at the end of the football season in 2000, earning a law degree and founding his own firm immortalized in local TV commercials, Culpepper  Kurland. (photos at right and below by Jorge Alvarez)

Monica Culpepper said during a promotional video released by CBS that she hopes her experience as an NFL wife will give her an edge during the competition. "I'm the accountant, I'm the CEO, I'm the financial planner...whatever it is you need, I wear the hat," she said in the video. "In my mind, wisdom is experience. Being that I'm 41 years old...I have a lot of experience. I have a lot of wisdom. I'm not afraid to play the mom card." 

Culpepper's addition marks the second consecutive season to feature a Tampa resident; last year, lingerie football player Mikayla Wingle competed on Survivor: South Pacific, only to be eliminated before qualifying for the show's final jury.

This season, which debuts on CBS at 8 p.m. Feb. 15, was filmed in advance and features a tribe of men competing against a tribe of women. The Redemption Island element has been eliminated from the game, but there will be challenges the contestants must figure out for themselves without help from host Jeff Probst.

Below is the information sheet on Monica Culpepper and press release from CBS:

Name (Age): Monica Culpepper (41)
Tribe Designation: Salani
Current Residence: Tampa, Fla.
Occupation: Ex-NFL Player’s Wife

Personal Claim to Fame: Homecoming Queen at University of Florida in 1991, University of Florida Outstanding Female Leader Graduate in 1991, Graduated with Honors from University of Minnesota Physical Therapy School, Wife of University of Florida and nine year NFL Defensive Tackle, Brad Culpepper, and mother of three straight "A" students.

Inspiration in Life: My husband without a doubt! He is the hardest working person I know. Hewas not only an All-American Football player at University of Florida, an Academic All-American, a Southeastern Conference Hall of Famer, and Vice President of the UF student body, but also finished with a Masters degree. He won the prestigious Campbell Award, making him the number one scholar athlete in the nation. Then he went on to the NFL where he played for nine seasons with the Vikings, Buccaneers, and Bears. He was All-Madden and the NFL’s Unsung Hero Award winner. While playing in the NFL, he earned his law degree in the "off- seasons." Now, he has his own law firm and truly is a role model and a coach to me and many kids in our community. Best part is… I helped build him!
Hobbies: Kickboxing, hiking, skeet shooting, riding four wheelers, snowboarding, wakeboarding, running, reading and volunteering in my community.

Pet Peeves: People who are two-faced, unappreciative and lazy. Also, messy cars!

3 Words to Describe You: Loyal, tenacious and gritty.

SURVIVOR Contestant You Are Most Like: I can relate to Tina Wesson, the first female winner in 2001, because she was 40, had a career in the medical field and was happily married.

Reason for Being on SURVIVOR: I gave up my medical school and career dreams when I met my husband in college and have devoted the rest of my time to my family as a mother and a supportive spouse. It is my time to “step out” and see what grit I am made of…I’m ready to show I’m a Survivor!

Why You Think You’ll “Survive” SURVIVOR: I am enthusiastic, pleasant to be around and a great motivator. I’m like a chameleon; I can get along with all kinds of people. Being great at multi-tasking, I am able to process and calculate clearly under stress.

Why You Think You Will Be the Sole SURVIVOR: I’m never afraid to go out on a limb when it comes to getting something I want. Less...

CBS announced today the 18 castaways who will compete against each other on SURVIVOR: ONE WORLD when the Emmy Award-winning series returns for its 24th season, Wednesday, Feb. 15 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. 
 
SURVIVOR: ONE WORLD pushes the game to its limits, forcing the two competing tribes to share one beach. The castaways must fight the elements, adapt to their new surroundings and vie against each other to stay in the game or be voted out by their peers, all while living together on the same beach.

Tribes, separated by men versus women, will have to decide whether to share their resources with each other or leave the opposing tribe to fend for themselves.  This ultimate social game becomes even more difficult to navigate because alliances could be formed between members of different tribes much earlier, adding yet another layer of intrigue to this competitive game.

The 18 castaways will be divided into two Tribes of nine: the Salani Tribe and the Manono Tribe, named after islands in Samoa.  Divided by men versus women, the tribes are comprised of individuals from all different backgrounds with the same ultimate goal: to outwit, outplay and outlast and ultimately be crowned Sole Survivor.
 
 

Castaways competing on SURVIVOR: ONE WORLD (in alphabetical order):

 

Salani:                                                                         Manono:

Nina Acosta                                                                Jay Byars

Age: 51                                                                        Age: 25

Current Residence: Clovis, Calif.                                   Current Residence: Gaffney, S.C.

Occupation: Retired LAPD Officer                               Occupation: Model

 

Christina Cha                                                             Colton Cumbie                                              

Age: 29                                                                        Age: 21

Current Residence: West Hollywood, Calif.                   Current Residence: Monroeville, Ala.

Occupation: Career Consultant                                      Occupation: College Student

 

Monica Culpepper                                                     Michael Jefferson                                         

Age: 41                                                                        Age: 30

Current Residence: Tampa, Fla.                                    Current Residence: Seattle, Wash.

Occupation: Ex-NFL Player’s Wife                              Occupation: Banker

 

Kat Edorsson                                                             Leif Manson

Age: 22                                                                        Age: 27

Current Residence: Orlando, Fla.                                  Current Residence: San Diego, Calif.

Occupation: Timeshare Rep                                          Occupation: Phlebotomist

 

Chelsea Meissner                                                      Jonas Otsuji

Age: 26                                                                        Age: 37

Current Residence: Charleston, S.C.                             Current Residence: Lehi, Utah

Occupation: Medical Sales                                            Occupation: Sushi Chef

 

Kourtney Moon                                                         Bill Posley

Age: 29                                                                        Age: 28

Current Residence: Austin, Texas                                  Current Residence: Venice, Calif.

Occupation: Motorcycle Repair                                    Occupation: Stand-Up Comedian

 

Alicia Rosa                                                                 Matt Quinlan

Age: 25                                                                        Age: 33

Current Residence: Chicago, Ill.                                    Current Residence: San Francisco, Calif.

Occupation: Special Ed Teacher                                   Occupation: Attorney

 

Kim Spradlin                                                              Troy Robertson         

Age: 29                                                                        Age: 50

Current Residence: San Antonio, Texas                        Current Residence: Miami, Fla.            

Occupation: Bridal Shop Owner                                   Occupation: Swimsuit Photographer

 

Sabrina Thompson                                                     Greg Smith

Age: 33                                                                        Age: 64

Current Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.                               Current Residence: Houston, Texas

Occupation: High School Teacher                                 Occupation: Plastic Surgeon

 

SURVIVOR: SOUTH PACIFIC is hosted by Emmy Award-winning host Jeff Probst and produced by SEG, Inc.  Mark Burnett, Jeff Probst and David Burris are executive producers and Leisa Francis is co-executive producer.