Monty Brinton, CBS photos Rafe Judkins -- Third place equals $85,000. Click photo for larger image.

Nice guys don't finish last. They come in third.

At least if they're from Western Pennsylvania, and they are contestants on "Survivor."

Rafe Judkins, 22, of Kilbuck, who survived 38 days of heat, starvation, mosquitoes and back-stabbing on "Survivor: Guatemala," was the second local contestant in a row not to make the Final 2. Ian Rosenberger, 24, formerly of Economy and now of the North Side, suffered the same fate in "Survivor: Palau" last spring.

In both cases, these alpha males listened to their consciences, which told them that personal values are more important than the $1 million prize.

In Ian's case, he essentially handed the game to winner Tom Westman rather than let Westman believe he had betrayed him.

Rafe took a risk that didn't pay off. When he and Stephenie LaGrossa lost the final immunity challenge to Danni Boatwright, Rafe approached Danni and told her that he "released her" from her promise to take him to the Final 2. He felt it was important that Danni be free to make the decision that was in her best interest.

Danni picked Stephenie and won the game by a 6-1 jury vote. Rafe was the only juror to vote for Stephenie.

Speaking by phone from Los Angeles, Rafe said that throughout the game Danni had listened to her heart, not her head, and he believed she would pick him.

He admitted, though, that everyone knew he would have beat Danni, probably in a close vote, and he says he might have beat Stephenie 7-0. He said if he'd won final immunity, he would have taken Stephenie to the Final 2.

Rafe said he and Stephenie "were focused on winning the game; Danni was focused on winning the $1 million." He says he lost the game because Danni perceived him as being too much of a threat.

For coming in third, Rafe says he's taking home $85,000. In previous seasons of "Survivor," Western Pennsylvania's Jenna Morasca and Amber Brkich have been $1 million winners.

Rafe said his strategy at the beginning was "to let everyone underestimate me, and to underestimate no one." He strove to make people think he wasn't tough or competitive -- although this part of his strategy eventually fizzled when he won four demanding immunity challenges.

Danni Boatwright, who won, Rafe Judkins and Stephenie LaGrossa were the Final 3 in "Survivor: Guatemala." Click photo for larger image.

Although for the first few days Rafe didn't even like Stephenie, for most of the game they had an alliance, they trusted each other, and they voted off others as it suited them in Machiavellian style, blindsiding at least three people also in their alliance. Rafe consciously let Stephenie take the heat for the betrayals, while he maintained the aura of Mr. Nice Guy that comes so easily to him.

Rafe is a 2005 graduate of Brown University, with a major in anthropology and biology and a minor in screenwriting. He attended Sewickley Academy for 14 years and graduated in 2001. He is a son of Ren Judkins and Lani Lee of Kilbuck, and he has a brother, Landon, who's a freshman at Brown.

He plans to move to Los Angeles next month to pursue a career as a screenwriter.

Rafe, a gay Mormon, says it was important for him to be on TV to show the world that "people don't have to fit in one box or another." He wanted to show America that "you can be yourself and that people will like you."

Since "Survivor: Guatemala" ended filming in August, he says he's "been doing a lot of eating" after pretty much living on corn for more than a month.

In a side note, Rafe commented on the incident in which Cindy Hall, who came in fifth place, declined an opportunity to break the "Survivor curse," in which the person who wins the new car has never won the $1 million prize.

"Survivor" host Jeff Probst gave Cindy the chance to "break the curse" by giving up her Pontiac Torrent SUV and giving a new SUV to the other four remaining players, including Rafe. She decided to keep the car and was voted out that night. Rafe expressed astonishment that someone would keep the car when she had the chance to give a car to four others.

Rafe confirmed that if Cindy had given up her SUV, he thinks "Survivor" producer Mark Burnett would probably have given all five of them an SUV. "After all," he said, "all five cars were there in the jungle."