Clarence Hits The Road

On the latest episode of "Survivor: Africa," the Boran and Samburu tribes merged into one creating the new Moto Maji tribe. During a marathon immunity challenge, a childhood game may have sealed the fate of the latest castaway to be voted out Africa.

Clarence Back, a high school basketball coach from Detroit, Mchigan got his walking papers Thursday night. He joined Russ Mitchell of CBS' The Early Show to talk about his experiences.

Mitchell: Six hours, arms hurting. Why did you decide to end it in a game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors?

Black: I knew Teresa wasn't coming down. I knew I wasn't coming down. The challenge wasn't that hard, for me. An annoying, stingy pain. I could have stayed up there. I knew she wasn't coming down. And I just put it to the fate.

Mitchell: You were signaling something to other contestants there. What were you trying --

Black: The big question for me going into that challenge and that merge I guess was what had gone on at the other tribe. The only person I was able to form an alliance with was Kelly. I was thinking, if these people are smart, they'll see we have these guys 6'4"; get rid of them, be out six, maybe they'll get rid of me. I guess they were thinking, too strong. Got to go.

Mitchell: I'm watching thinking, I know Clarence is going to be gone if he loses this. Clarence has got know that. Why not stay up there and say, I know I'm history if I don't win this. I'm going to stick it out. I don't care about this other person; I'm going to stay here.

Black: A good question. And you just -- I knew that when it was myself and Silas was there, it was split. It was a matter of time. The question was, could I pull off eight in a row, eight immunities in a row or time to test and see what happened. On the other side, was Kelly able to work something out? It came down to maybe they were going to be loyal, maybe not. I didn't feel I was going to be able to win eight in a row. With everybody gunning for you I figured, let's test the fate and see what happens.

Mitchell: The fact were you a physical threat do you think that led to your downfall?

Black: The fact I was a physical threat hindered me. More so, the fact I didn't make any alliance early because of the problems I had on day three was probably the biggest deal. Not making an alliance hurt. When you're big and strong, you're already a target. It you don't get allies on your side, when you merge, you're going to be gone.

Mitchell: We'll talk about the beans and chicken in a bit . A bit of "Survivor" history was made when Lex came over and said 'I'm going to tell you, man to man here, you're going to the voted out.' What did you think about that?

Black: I was glad. I was at least glad that I knew. So that way it gave me a chants to spend the next three hours -- you really don't see that on camera, between the ime we were talking and the time we actually started to make the walk to tribal council, three hours. I got a chance to know everybody off-camera, didn't get to hang out with Kim or Brandon. Cool to sit down with them and talk. When everybody knows you're gone you become people. I'm not a threat. They're like, hey what do you do? What's your family like? That was cool.

Mitchell: All right. Let's talk about the beans. You know we were going to go here. Why did you eat the beans?

Black: I was hungry.

Mitchell: You knew it was going to make --

Black: 36 hours no food and water; I was hungry. Actually -- my plan was to help Diane. That was true. I.did not open the can for me.

WhenIi opened them, I was giving some to her, I was eating some. I admitted that. I never lied about it.

Mitchell: You tried to hide the cans from the rest of the tribe. Is that right?

Black: No. Actually, my plan, - bury the cans.

Mitchell: I see. Sorry.

Black: Not hide the cans. Bury the cans.

Just bury the cans.

I figured they'd be upset. My plan was Diane was leaving. I figured it wouldn't be anything we needed to discuss.

Mitchell: Your mom's sitting over there and says you don't like beans.

Black: Ma, I don't like your beans, but, you know, the rusty can, you got to taste rusty can beans. The best. 36 hours, no food and water, you'd be surprised how they can taste.

Mitchell: Ma looking awfully mad. 15 seconds left. You wanted to eat the chicken?

Black: These people -- that chicken was -- you get three chickens, no food, get three chickens, kill one and eat. I could have eaten all three, personally. But --

Mitchell: But here you are. We're going to talk more in a bit. Clarence will be back at 8:30 to answer some of our viewer e-mail questions.

Mitchell: Welcome back to "The Early Show" on this Friday morning. There's Clarence saying, 'Happy trails, Africa!' if you watched last night. It's time for our weekly "Survivor" score card, an update on which of the Kenyan castaways are still in the hunt for the million dollar prize. Okay. Last night ten players made the turn as the Samburu are you okay, Clarence? Are you all right?

Black: Saw last night. You know what --

Mitchell: We'll talk about that. Again, ten players made the turn as the Samburu and Boran tribes merged. But only one was sent packing when the newly formed Moto Maji tribe went to tribal council. Tom, Teresa, Frank, Kim P., Lex., Ethan., Kim J., Brandon and Kelly are still in the game. Clarence Black was the odd man out. Clarence, welcome back. You thought that was funny, though. He didn't know what brunch was.

Black: Forgot about it until I saw it last night. When I saw it again, it was just funny. Frank's just -- wild.

Mitchell: I got t ask you, though, the first couple weeks of the show, a lot of us thought you were gone.

Black: Yeah.

Mitchell: Are you surprised that you lasted as long as you did?

Black: After day three, I just felt like I was in a firing range, ducking, dodging, finally a bullet caught me.

Mitchell: But you had a tough relationship from the beginning with big Tom. He really got on you about the bean incident. Seemed like you paled up a little bit. What did you think of big Tom?

Black: Tommy's a good guy. He's playing the game. It's a situation where we first got there; Tom and I bonded right off the bus. He was my partner the whole way, carrying our initial goods there and when the whole situation happened, when I ate the beans with Diane, I think it was more of kind of -- a southern farmer, fatherly disappointment more than anything.

Mitchell: Who really rubbed you the wrong way? I want the dirt.

Black: They were all really nice.

Got along.

They were all awesome! No, you know, Lex and my first impression of them were these guys were geeks. We were sitting around one night talking about their favorite show. Both of them said, yeah, you have a, and I looked at Kelly, and we just collectively did, the whole, these guys are geeks. I just -- but, no. In getting to know them, you know, they are great guys. It's funny, because I think a "Survivor" insider had me referring to Lex, Uncle Lex. That's a nickname. He's older, 38, but --

Mitchell: Come on now! Come on.

Black¨Oh, the whole full-body tattoos. No. I have three. That's three too much for my mom. So, no. I don't -- I don't want too many tattoos.

Mitchell: We nerve are saw your tattoos. Are they hidden?

Black: No. They were on me.

Mitchell: Clarence, what are you looking to get out of this? What's next for you?

Black: You know, I have no idea. It's just the past seven months have just been such a ride. You know. I think I'm going leave it to the fates. You know, what's important to me are my basketball tournament which raises money for cancer, a tournament, every year, and coaching and bartending, something I did while working as stock broker. So right now I'm going to kind of ride the wave and see what happens. But doing my turn.

Mitchell: Speaking of the stock broker's, one of the e-mailers e-mailed us about that. Do you think your college education and school prepared you for "Survivor"?

Black: Wow.

Mitchell: Or how did they? How were you able to use them?

Black: Not at all.

(Laughter)

Mitchell: Uh-oh.

Black: I think the -- to prepare for "Survivor," I sat around and watched reruns of "The Young and the Restless." Stab them like that! I got to do that.

Mitchell: You did compare it to "The Sopranos." right? What did you mean by that?

Mitchell: You got the head of the family. The people who want to get rid of the head of the family. You got the old mom who people really can't stand. You've got the young kids, and --

Mitchell: Which character were you?

I was -- I was probably the young lieutenant who everybody really didn't trust, but they knew that he would pull through.

(Laughter)

Mitchell: I want to talk quickly about what you did when you left. You got a chance to go on safari right? Got see those elephants up close again? Maybe compromising circumstances?

Black: The safari blew me away. I mean -- I -- and I was --

When I got done -- beyond the jury, I had a chance to really see Kenya. And that was priceless, the things i got see on safari.

Mitchell: Doing your business while the elephants were there, was that kind of -- you describe that.

Black: I was so scared, and the camera didn't show it. Because you're down there, doing your thing. You look up and they're there. Kind of like -- oh! Ah. My mom was like, yeah. Your son was out in the woods. You know, doing his thing, and he got trampled. Just wanted to let you know.

Mitchell: Would have been embarrassing.

Black: Yeah. I mean, that's no way for your kid to die.

Mitchell: Not at all. Clarence, thanks a lot. Thanks for coming in. Appreciate it. Good luck to you.

Black: Thanks.

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