Rodgers to guest host ‘Jeopardy!’
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a good shot at playing in the Super Bowl this year. But would that be a bigger thrill than hosting “Jeopardy!”?
The former Cal star revealed on Tuesday that he will be among the parade of guest hosts on the popular game show in the wake of Alex Trebek’s death.
“They’re doing some guest hosting spots and it’s going to be released here pretty soon,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “I had the opportunity to do one of those.”
Rodgers is no stranger to “Jeopardy!” having appeared on a celebrity edition in 2015, when he defeated astronaut Mark Kelly and Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank.” (His UC Berkeley education apparently served him well.) He also was a big fan of the beloved host who died in November, telling McAfee, “One of my idols growing up was Alex Trebek.”
“The show has been so special to me over the years,” Rodgers told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “It’s been a staple at my house here in Green Bay for the last 16 years — 6 o’clock, watching Alex and trying to get as many questions as I can. When the opportunity came up in 2015, that was a dream come true. It really was. To be on there, to get to meet Alex was just such a special moment. We’re all obviously sad about his passing.”
No word yet on when Rodgers will appear on “Jeopardy!” The final episode to feature Trebek aired last Friday. On Monday, the all- time “Jeopardy!” champ, Ken Jennings, made his debut as a guest host. Jennings reportedly has filmed six weeks’ worth of episodes.
Rodgers first made the announcement earlier Tuesday. A representative from “Jeopardy!” declined comment and said no announcement has been made about future guest hosts.
“I may have jumped the gun a little bit, so I apologize to ‘Jeopardy!’ if they wanted to announce it,” Rodgers said. “I just got so excited on the show earlier. It kind of just went down the last couple of days, us figuring it out.”