Ex-Jeopardy! host reveals why he was "blown away" by Aaron Rodgers
In April 2021, Aaron Rodgers performed a two-week stint as a guest host on "Jeopardy!" following the passing of its long-time host, Alex Trebek. This opportunity raised a question among fans as to whether Rodgers could have pursued a career as a game show host.
The game show wasn't ready to officially name a new host, so it invited well-known hosts, actors, broadcasters and athletes to try their hand at hosting duties.
Rodgers, who expressed his love of the show, surprised Jeopardy! staff with his preparation and Jeopardy! knowledge. Former Jeopardy! Producer Mike Richards recently sat down with People Magazine to discuss his own short run as host of the game show.
"Aaron Rodgers was definitely the most prepared. I was blown away by that, the intensity in which he prepped and he was so lovely to everyone on staff," Richards said.
Mike Richards also questioned whether the quarterback could balance hosting Jeopardy with his NFL career.
"But ultimately I worried about his other job that he does on a pretty high level," Richards added. "I was like, 'How are you going to work this out with football scheduling?' He said, 'You'll figure it out!'"
Ultimately, Aaron Rodgers wasn't chosen as the new host of Jeopardy! but perhaps a game show host may be on his list of post-NFL career opportunities. For now, though, he will continue his role as the starting quarterback of the New York Jets.
Aaron Rodgers wanted to 'crush' Jeopardy! hosting gig
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback told ESPN that he spent hours upon hours re-watching older episodes of the iconic game show.
He said that he took notes on how Alex Trebek would introduce categories and his responses to the contestants. Shortly after making his appearance on the game show, the quarterback told ESPN:
"I took pages and pages and pages of notes. I wrote down every affirmative that he said to any type of clue. I wrote down the stuff that he said coming out of break. Literally, I studied for this like no other. I wanted to absolutely just crush it."
All of that preparation paid off for the former NFL MVP, as he was nearly considered for the hosting position.