'Jeopardy' champion reveals the lesson from Alex Trebek that helped him build his career

The former contestant was a star on the show in 2017, winning $413,000 over 13 games.

PUBLISHED SEP 10, 2025

Screenshots showing Alex Trebek and the "Jeopardy!" champion (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Jeopardy!)

"Jeopardy!" host Ken Jennings may have filled the shoes of the legendary Alex Trebek on the show, but he has a long way to go before establishing a legacy that goes beyond the screen like his predecessor's. Trebek was a part of the show from 1984 until his passing in 2020. But it was the way he interacted with those who had made it to the studio that left a lasting impact.

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One of the people that Trebek had inspired was former contestant Austin Rogers. He was a contestant on the show in 2017 and was highly successful. He won $413,000 in 13 games. According to a report in The Mirror US, Rogers currently works as a bartender, a job that requires significant people skills as well. He revealed to the publication that he picked up one of the things that the former host used to do while interacting with people.

Rogers said that the show is almost filmed in real time. The contestants get their make-up touched up during the ad breaks. The host also gets that done, but he is asked to re-read a question if he had made a mistake in its delivery earlier. The showrunners then add the new audio over the old clip when it is televised, so that viewers at home have a seamless experience.

Screenshot showing Alex Trebek and Ken Jennings on Jeopardy! (Image source: YouTube/ABC)

However, if there were no re-reads to be done, the host took questions from the crowd. One of the most common questions Trebek was asked, as per Rogers, was what he wanted to do if he could have any job. "Governor General of Canada, traveling my great nation, appointed by the Queen herself, snipping ribbons—ceremonial only. What a great job is that?" Trebek would say, as per Rogers. No matter how many times that question was asked, the host would always give the same answer with the same enthusiasm.

However, one time, a fan pointed out to Trebek that he had been the host of the show for more than three decades, and in that time, he had faced that question a lot. “You don't have to know that it gets tiring for me. You're here on this stage with us for the first and maybe only time in your life, taking part in this game, in this program that you love so much. So I don't care that I've heard this question a million times before,” Trebek would say, as per Rogers.

Screenshot showing Alex Trebek on Jeopardy! (Image source: YouTube/Jeopardy)

So, at his job as a bartender, when he faces questions about his time on the show from several fans, Rogers also keeps his calm and answers the same questions with the same enthusiasm. “Because you took your time to come to my little pub in Yorkville on the Upper East Side to ask me questions about the game that you love. So, as a brand ambassador to the show, I'm going to address everything with the exact same enthusiasm that Alex addressed everyone,” he explained.