Throughout Survivor’s history, there have been some facts about Jeff Probst’s beloved reality show that have been undebatable. For example, there is no doubt that some former players have refused to return and about who the first person to be medically evacuated was. On the other hand, new fans who are figuring out which seasons to watch first should know that other aspects of Survivor aren’t as cut and dry. Fans can debate which seasons are the most entertaining, who the best winners were, and who the greatest players ever are.

While fans can debate whether he is the best player ever, there is no denying that “Boston” Rob Mariano is one of the most respected Survivor legends. With that in mind, it is fascinating to wonder if Jonathan Young’s friendship with “Boston” Rob could have helped him during Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.

How Fans Know That Jonathan Young Has Become Friends With “Boston” Rob Mariano

When a show has been on the air as long as Survivor has, that gives the team behind it a huge advantage. Because Survivor’s producers have been getting feedback from fans for more than 25 years, they have been sent a lot of messages about what viewers want from the show.

With that in mind, it makes perfect sense that Survivor has mostly cast people who closely match the mold left behind by noteworthy players from the past. However, even though the “new era” has been dominated by nerdy superfans, since fans have loved that in the past, a whole new kind of player was cast.

During Survivor 42, Jonathan Young’s massive body allowed him to become a unique figure in the show’s history. Even though he is known as the strongest Survivor player ever, Jonathan has seemingly become friends with one of the most strategic people to ever play, “Boston” Rob Mariano.

On Jonathan’s Instagram page, he has almost 85,000 followers. It is pretty shocking that Jonathan doesn’t have more followers, since his posts are incredible, to say the least. For example, Jonathan has posted photos of his incredible workouts and of himself attending the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony with his friend Lex Luger.

For Survivor fans, one aspect of Jonathan’s Instagram page is likely to be very interesting. Jonathan’s Instagram page makes it seem like he has become good friends with “Boston” Rob Mariano.

On Jonathan’s Instagram page, there are at least six different photos of the Survivor giant with “Boston” Rob. Not only are there a lot of photos of Jonathan and “Boston” Rob, those images appear to tell a story about the men’s friendship.

In some of the images, Jonathan and “Boston” Rob appear to be working on home renovations together. In fact, in the captions of one of his Instagram posts, Jonathan thanks “Boston” Rob for helping him build a deck.

“Mr. Rob showing me a thing or two about building a deck…on one of the hottest days of the year🔥thank you for the help 🤙🏼 @bostonrobmariano”

In some of Jonathan’s other posts with “Boston” Rob, he appears to be enjoying a social visit with the Survivor Hall of Famer.

For example, one of Jonathan’s posts features a photo of him getting what appears to be iced coffees with “Boston” Rob. Interestingly enough, the photo of Jonathan and “Boston” Rob smiling and holding iced coffee appears to be a selfie taken by the Survivor Hall of Famer.

Another photo that Jonathan uploaded appears to be even more significant. In the Instagram photo, Jonathan stands in the middle with one arm wrapped around “Boston” Rob’s shoulder and the other around Amber Brkich Mariano’s shoulder.

Did Jonathan Young Learn From “Boston” Rob Mariano Before Survivor 50: In The Hands Of The Fans?

In 2022, Survivor fans saw Jonathan Young play the game for the first time. While Jonathan built a reputation for being a physical titan during that season, his time on the show isn’t remembered for his big strategic moves. However, there is reason to believe that Jonathan might have learned some tricks from “Boston” Rob Mariano before Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.

Looking at Jonathan’s Instagram posts that include” Boston” Rob, certain themes definitely come through.

For example, Jonathan and “Boston” Rob appear to have big smiles on their faces when they are together. On top of that, based on the captions he includes alongside his photos, it is clear that Jonathan deeply respects “Boston” Rob.

Another one of the themes that comes in the Instagram posts involving Jonathan and “Boston” Rob is the younger man learning from the legend.

For example, Jonathan wrote about learning from “Boston” Rob in the previously quoted deck post. The caption to another Instagram photo of the two men on a basketball court focuses on “Boston” Rob teaching Jonathan about trash talk.

“I’m not learning a lot about tennis… but I am learning how to trash talk.”

As interesting as those captions are, it is something that “Boston” Rob once wrote that really hinted at how much he has taught Jonathan.

Earlier in this article, the photo of Jonathan with “Boston” Rob and Amber Brkich Mariano was brought up. While that Instagram photo was telling, something “Boston” Rob wrote in the post’s comment section was absolutely fascinating.

Jonathan posted the photo of himself with the two legends after he returned from filming Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans. In the comment section, “Boston” Rob seemingly questioned if what he’d taught Jonathan would pay off during Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.

“Boston” Rob’s comment seemed to point to the Survivor Hall of Famer thinking Jonathan may have learned from his advice.

With that post in mind, it is amazing to think about what could be possible during Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.

Since a lot of what makes “Boston” Rob such a great player is instinctual, he could only teach Jonathan so much. Still, since Jonathan clearly has so much respect for “Boston” Rob, it seems like he would have done everything he could to sponge up every lesson he was offered.

With that in mind, it is tantalizing to imagine a physical dynamo like Jonathan having some of “Boston” Rob’s strategic skills.