When Jordan Pious (’09B) graduated from Goizueta Business School in May, his classmates dubbed him the person “Most Likely To Be On a Reality Show.” Little did they know that less than a year later, Pious would compete on national television on the 16th season of CBS’ hit show “The Amazing Race.”

“This was always a big dream of mine,” Pious said in a phone interview with the Wheel. “I wouldn’t want to be on any other reality show. This was the program for me.”

“The Amazing Race,” a long-running series that mixes the genres of game show and reality show in the vein of MTV classic “Road Rules,” follows paired teammates who share a long-standing and close relationship as they compete in a race around the world. Since its first season in 2001, Pious has been an avid viewer of the program, often enthralled with the show’s exotic locales and portrayal of the competitors’ relationships.

After graduating from Emory, Pious hoped to be able to travel before entering the business world, and he knew exactly with whom he wanted to traverse the globe.

“The aspect of trust is so huge on the ‘Race,’ so there was no one better than my brother to do it with me,” Pious said.

Dan, Pious’ older brother and a financial consultant, hated the idea of traveling, but after some major cajoling from Pious, he agreed to be his potential teammate on the show. The brothers made it through the show’s selective interview process because they interacted so naturally on camera, choosing to engage each other in casual conversation rather than to film themselves doing something elaborate or staged.

Despite the visible camaraderie between the two young men, Pious’ main concern going into the show was that the stress of the “Race” would damage their tight relationship.

“The last couple of years have been tough on us because I have been in Atlanta and he has been in New England,” Pious said. “It is so stressful being on the ‘Race,’ and there can be a lot of tension and bickering between teammates. I was worried that it could potentially hurt what I had with my brother.”

The Pious brothers prepared for the show by scrutinizing past seasons and discussing how they would approach the various challenges that past participants had faced. They also made a concerted effort to stay in shape in order to be more prepared for the show’s physical challenges. By the time shooting for “The Amazing Race” began in November, Pious was determined to do well on the show.

“This sounds corny, but Emory played a big part in boosting my confidence. I knew coming into this that I could do well and I felt good about my abilities,” he said.

Pious has always been comfortable in his own skin. After coming out as gay to his supportive family during high school, the Rhode Island native and New England Patriots fan decided to leave the Northeast to attend college in a different part of the country.

Despite the intense job market competition that recent college graduates are facing, Pious was able to find a position at the strategic consulting firm BrightHouse in Atlanta. He said getting yourself on reality television and finding a job these days have comparable levels of difficulty.

CBS does not allow Pious to discuss details about where he and Dan traveled or what challenges they faced, but Jordan did say he would do the show again if given the chance.

“If they called me today to be on ‘The Amazing Race 17,’ I would pack my bags,” he said.

Pious says his friends from Emory are surprised by his new status as a potential TV star, but are also excited for him. They will be anxiously watching “The Amazing Race” season premiere on Sunday to see if the guy voted “Most Likely To Be On a Reality Show” at Goizueta will take it one step further and be able to add “reality show champion” to his résumé.

— Contact Joel Dobben.