They say that speed kills in the NFL. Now it’s time to see if a former NFL head coach can sprint his way to a million dollars on The Amazing Race.
Former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach and current ESPN football analyst Rex Ryan (who took the Jets to back-to-back AFC championship games) is partnering with a golfing buddy / probation officer on season 34 of the CBS reality competition series, which premieres Sept. 21 at 10pmET on CBS. They will be one of 12 teams competing, a cast which also includes long lost twins, former NFL cheerleaders, ballroom dancers, motivational speakers, as well as Big Brother season 21 stars (and Cookout victims) Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss.
Sonja Flemming/CBS
That was not the only big Amazing Race news regarding the new season. For the first time in franchise history, the competition will actually begin outside of the United States, with Munich, Germany serving as the season 34 starting line. And in another franchise first that will surely be cheered by longtime fans, there will be zero non-elimination legs on the season.
Not only that, but there will be what CBS describes as a “game-changing element” that host Phil Keoghan will tease during the first leg, and the show will also visit “the ancient city of Petra, in Jordan, where teams will ride a train and experience a scene reminiscent of the 1963 Oscar-winning film Lawrence of Arabia, perform a Jordanian folk dance and learn the Arabic alphabet.” Other locations on the itinerary include Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Iceland, while the race will conclude in Nashville.
Meet the season 34 Amazing Race teams below.
Aastha Lal (33, VP of Operations) and Nina Duong (34, Director Business Dev.)
Engaged from Marina Del Ray, Calif.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Aastha Lal and Nina Duong from ‘The Amazing Race’
Abby Garrett (24, Data Scientist) and Will Freeman (25, Accountant)
Childhood sweethearts from Birmingham, Ala.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Abby Garrett and Will Freeman from ‘The Amazing Race’
Aubrey Ares (29, Dance Studio Owner) and David Hernandez (29, Helicopter Mechanic)
Ballroom dancers from Los Angeles, Calif.
Kit Karzen/CBS Aubrey Ares and David Hernandez from ‘The Amazing Race’
Derek Xiao (24, Product Manager) and Claire Rehfuss (25, AI Engineer)
Reality romance from Los Angeles, Calif.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss from ‘The Amazing Race’
Emily Bushnell (36, Law Firm Admin) and Molly Sinert (36, Healthcare Admin)
Long-lost twins from Ardmore, Pa. and Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., respectively.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Emily Bushnell and Molly Sinert from ‘The Amazing Race’
Glenda (41, Insurance Underwriter) and Lumumba Roberts (41, Middle School Teacher)
Newlyweds from Norcross, Ga.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Glenda and Lumumba Roberts from ‘The Amazing Race’
Luis Colon (34, Firefighter) and Michelle Burgos (34, Dancer)
Married from Miami, Fla.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Luis Colon and Michelle Burgos from ‘The Amazing Race’
Linton (50, Assistant Principal) and Sharik Atkinson (23, Masters Student)
Father and daughter from Brooklyn, N.Y.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Linton and Sharik Atkinson from ‘The Amazing Race’
Marcus (38, Army Tank Commander) and Michael Craig (30, Air Force Fighter Pilot)
Military brothers from Richmond Hill, Ga. and Alamogordo, N.M., respectively.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Marcus and Michael Craig from ‘The Amazing Race’
Quinton Peron (29, Choreographer) and Mattie Lynch (27, Dance Coach)
Former Rams cheerleaders from Pasadena, Calif. and Vista, Calif, respectively.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Quinton Peron and Mattie Lynch from ‘The Amazing Race’
Tim Mann (40, Probation Officer) and Rex Ryan (59, ESPN Analyst)
Golf buddies from Brentwood, Tenn.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Tim Mann and Rex Ryan from ‘The Amazing Race’
Rich Kuo (32, Life Coach) and Dom Jones (35, Gym Owner)
Motivational speakers from Huntington Beach, Calif.
Sonja Flemming/CBS Rich Kuo and Dom Jones from ‘The Amazing Race’
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