Score!
Aaron Rodgers just landed a great side gig. On Tuesday, the Green Bay Packers quarterback revealed he’ll soon show up as a guest host on “Jeopardy!”
As “Jeopardy!” fans mourn the loss of game show legend Alex Trebek, they’re still tuning in to the show he shepherded for 36 years. But as of this week, they’re now greeted by a rotating selection of guest hosts — starting with longtime champ Ken Jennings.
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And during a visit to “The Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday, Rodgers said he’s on that roster, too.
“One of my idols growing up was Alex Trebek,” the 37-year-old said. “They're doing some guest-hosting spots. It's going to be released here pretty soon, but I have the opportunity to do one of those. … I'm excited about that opportunity with ‘Jeopardy!’”
As it turns out, Rodgers was so thrilled, he didn’t check in with the powers that be at “Jeopardy!” before revealing the big news.
Later in the day, during a press conference, Rodgers said, “I think I may have jumped the gun a little bit, so I apologize to 'Jeopardy!' if they wanted to announce it. I just got so excited on the show earlier. It kind of just went down the last couple of days, us figuring it out. It is very exciting. It's for the offseason.
“We'll be even more excited when that opportunity gets a little closer, but, man, the show has been so special to me over the years. 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."
But that isn’t his only connection to the series. In fact, the guest gig won’t be the first time the NFL star has appeared on the set of the beloved quiz show. Back in 2015, he was a contestant on “Celebrity Jeopardy!”
"When the opportunity came up in 2015, I mean that was a dream come true — it really was — to be on there," he continued.
He wasn’t just “on there,” either. Rodgers went on to claim victory over past-astronaut/now-senator Mark Kelly and “Shark Tank’s” Kevin O’Leary to win $50,000 for the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer Fund.
Winning was only part of the honor for Rodgers.
"To get to meet Alex was just such a special moment,” he noted. "There's this nostalgic connection to certain figures, I think, in our life based on our childhood and where we were at at those times when we had those memories, and it almost makes these people feel like family, like you know them."
Rodgers went on to explain that meeting the late host was like meeting his football heroes, ranking it alongside rubbing shoulders with the likes of Pat Summerall and John Madden.
"We all have so much love and affection, I think, for what he's meant to just that half hour, that 22 minutes of our lives on a daily basis for those of us who are big fans of the show," he added. "So to be able to be a guest host is really, really special for me, and I can't wait for the opportunity."