Drew Goins Reveals the Unusual Reason He Wanted to Compete on Jeopard!
For most contestants, appearing on Jeopard! is about testing their knowledge, proving themselves on one of television’s most challenging quiz shows, or competing for the prize money. For Drew Goins, however, it started with something much more personal: he wanted to avenge Ken Jennings.
Goins, a journalist from Washington, D.C., recently opened up about his Jeopard! journey and the childhood memory that first inspired him to take the stage.
Speaking with Hanna Rosin on The Atlantic’s podcast on August 20, Goins reflected on his experiences with the game show and explained why Jennings’ historic run had such a lasting impact on him.
Ken Jennings Was the Reason Goins Wanted to Be on Jeopard!
When Rosin asked Goins when he first watched Jeopard! and thought, “That’s me. I wanna do that,” he immediately pointed to Ken Jennings’ legendary run.
“I think this is gonna be a common answer for people of my age,” Goins said, referring to the original run of Jennings.
Jennings won 74 consecutive games in the mid-2000s before eventually becoming the host of Jeopard!. To Goins, however, Jennings was more than an extraordinary champion.
He remembered watching Jennings as a child and being fascinated by the fact that a seemingly ordinary software engineer could become such a compelling television figure.
“He is obviously the host now. He won 74 games before that in the mid-aughts,” Goins said.
He recalled thinking at the time that Jennings was “the coolest person I have ever seen.”
That impression stayed with Goins for years — particularly because of the way Jennings’ historic streak came to an end.
The Childhood Memory That Stayed With Him
Goins vividly remembers the day Jennings lost.
He was on a family beach vacation and had been out in the ocean when he realized it was almost 7 p.m., the time Jeopard! came on.
So he hurried back from the water to watch the episode.
Earlier that day, Goins had won an inflatable raft at the boardwalk. There was no pump available, meaning he had to inflate it himself by blowing into it.
As Jennings continued playing on television, Goins kept working on the raft.
By the end of the episode, he had become so lightheaded from blowing up the inflatable that, as a middle-schooler, he wondered whether he was imagining what he had just seen.
Then Jennings lost. Goins was so surprised that he turned to his father and asked whether it had really happened.
His father confirmed that it had.
For Goins, the moment became a vivid childhood memory — and ultimately part of the motivation that pushed him toward Jeopard! years later.
“I went on to avenge the legacy of Ken Jennings,” he said.
Goins’ Jeopard! Journey Took Several Turns
His own Jeopard! career has been far more extensive than a single appearance.
Goins lost his initial game during Final Jeopardy. But instead of disappearing from the show, he received another opportunity through the Second Chance Tournament.
He won that tournament and advanced to the Champions Wildcard.
After finishing as the first runner-up there, Goins believed his Jeopard! journey had finally come to an end.
Then another opportunity opened up.
Lisa Ann Walter, the Celebrity Jeopard! champion, withdrew from that season’s Tournament of Champions, creating an opening that allowed Goins to take her place.
He went on to compete in the third semifinal game but was eliminated.
That still wasn’t the end of his time on the show.
Goins was later invited to compete in the Jeopard! Invitational Tournament, where he once again reached the third semifinal game before losing.
Another Return With His Brother
Goins also continued his connection with the franchise outside the traditional Jeopard! competition.
He and his brother appeared on Season 2 of Pop Culture Jeopard!, competing as a team. The brothers made it to the quarterfinals before their run came to an end.
Despite the setbacks, Goins has now experienced multiple versions of the Jeopard! universe — from his original appearance and Second Chance victory to Champions Wildcard, the Tournament of Champions, the Invitational Tournament and Pop Culture Jeopard!.
What began with a childhood fascination with Ken Jennings ultimately turned into a long-running relationship with the game show.
And for Goins, it all traces back to one unforgettable evening at the beach: a half-inflated raft, a television episode beginning at 7 p.m., and the shocking moment when the 74-game champion finally lost.
Jeopard!, Season 43, weekdays in September 2026; check local listings.