Chandler Fulton initially thought he'd receive a rose from DeAnna Pappas until he noticed The Bachelorette fourth-season star was running out of boutonnieres to give to her suitors.
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His hunch was right as the 25-year-old insurance representative from Spotsylvania, VA was one of 10 suitors who failed to receive a rose from Pappas during The Bachelorette's fourth-season premiere on Monday night.
After he was ousted, Fulton said it was "really disappointing" because he didn't think Pappas saw him for the type of guy he really is.
"I just wish I had more time to spend with her so she could get to see who I am," Fulton told Reality TV World. "The time that we had together was pretty limited, and I think if we were to sit down and just kind of talk a little bit she would have realized that I'm a good, hometown kind of guy. I'm going to shoot you straight -- pretty honest, straightforward."
Fulton also reiterated comments he made at the debut broadcast's conclusion that he was "given the opportunity of a lifetime" and "did nothing with it."
"I probably should have chimed in a lot more during the few minutes we had or as a group with the other guys. I guess I was using my overall strategy," he explained to Reality TV World. "I honestly just wanted to play the role of myself and just kind of stand back and watch and wait for the opportune time. Towards the end of the night, I was realizing our time was getting pretty limited. So I probably should have chimed in a little more than I did."
Fulton initially attempted to woo Pappas by using a duck call, which could definitely be considered an unconventional tactic.
"I have never used that before to get a girl," he said. " But I'm a firm believer in trying something new... That was just something to personally get her attention and kind of stand out in the crowd a little bit. I thought she'd recognize that because she's from Georgia."
When Fulton subsequently decided to attempt to connect with Pappas via conversation, he was hindered by fellow suitor Brian W., a 29-year-old computer network consultant from New Castle, IN, who lifted his shirt and implored The Bachelorette star to touch his "abs of steel."
"I was pretty upset about it. I was pretty upset," Fulton told Reality TV World. "That was our time, and I think he took us both down."
While he conceded that the duck call wasn't exactly the most adult way to catch Pappas' attention, Fulton added he thought Brian's move was "extremely immature," which is why he didn't follow suit.
"I think that move at that point in time in the night when you're really trying to sit down and have a conversation was pretty immature and uncalled for," he told Reality TV World. "There's a time and a place for everything, and that was definitely not the time and place."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWFulton said his The Bachelorette experience actually began two years ago.
"In Spring 2006 -- when I was still in college -- my sisters actually signed me up in college," he explained. "We kind of laughed it off. Then this spring I got a call and my whole theory was, 'Shoot! I'm going to ride this horse until it bucks me!'"
Since he viewed The Bachelorette as a "once in a lifetime opportunity," he told reporters it was a chance he couldn't pass up.
"I thought it would just be absolutely fantastic to meet this girl -- she's from Georgia and I'm from Virginia," he said. "I thought we could relate on a number of different levels. Overall, I just thought it would be a tremendous experience that I could remember and tell stories about for the rest of my life."
While he didn't watch The Bachelor's entire eleventh season last fall, Fulton said he did catch the ending -- in which Pappas was rejected by Brad Womack during the final Rose Ceremony.
"I was actually pretty shocked," he said about Womack's decision. "I thought he was going to choose her."
Fulton said he and Pappas also share several similarities, which is why he thought she'd be interested in him.
"We both have strong family ties. We're both family-oriented people," he explained. "She seems to be concerned about her faith, and I am too. I saw her as a hometown kind of girl, that's how I am -- very truthful, honest and just a well-rounded kind of person."
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"My expectations going into the show were that I'd hopefully get to meet DeAnna and get to know her well," he said. "You can't know somebody just from watching them on TV or reading about them. So my number one goal, I was hoping to meet her and at least become a real great friend and take things from there."
Despite his brief time with Pappas and the other suitors, Fulton said he was able to tell some guys were there for the right reasons while others were not.
"I thought people were there for a number of reasons," he explained. "I could definitely pick out some of the ones who were there definitely for her, others maybe just to be on TV. I'm not sure. It's kind of hard to remember names because there were so many guys and it's been a while. But I thought there were some guys who would go home before me. Ultimately I thought I would at least make it through the first [Rose Ceremony]."
However that didn't happen, and while Fulton currently isn't dating anyone he said the show won't change the way he approaches women.
"I don't think there will be any change at all," he said. "I don't think that the fact of being on TV or being on the show or what happened on the show are going to sway my decisions on how I view girls, and visa versa. When you find somebody, you find somebody. Being on the show shouldn't have an effect on if you really like somebody or not."
As for what's next, Fulton said he's basically back in the daily grind of everyday life.
"The minute I got back home I had to pick up my job, right where I left off," he said. "I'm currently in the insurance industry, and it's a pretty tough market right now, but I'm just trying to get back to work."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
