He breezed through answers about the Federated States of Micronesia, Manuel Noriega, and chemistry catalysts, but Perrysburg resident John Presloid couldn't help but smirk midway through the second of his five-episode Jeopardy! run.
“This city in Ohio, ‘Glass capital of the world,’ is named for one in Spain,” host Alex Trebek read.
Without hesitation, Mr. Presloid buzzed in: “What is Toledo?”
“I was waiting with the buzzer,” he said, recalling his thinking: “I have to get this, I have to get this. I will never live this down if I don’t get this question.”
VIDEO: John Presloid
That might have been a gimme, but the University of Toledo microbiologist mastered a variety of topics during his recent appearance where he won $92,200 in four games, plus another $2,000 as runner-up in an episode that aired Tuesday.
Months after the November taping and guarding the secret of his success, the 36-year-old says the public response has been overwhelmingly positive.
His laser-focused ability to find “Daily Doubles” helped secure ample leads while he tried to avoid recklessness.
C'mon, John. It was only a $27,600 bet. We don't think your husband would have cared. 😉 pic.twitter.com/sMjNjr7ALg
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) January 22, 2019
“My husband would kill me,” Mr. Presloid joked when Mr. Trebek goaded him to bet it all with $27,600 on the line during Monday’s show. He instead wagered $400. Watching his husband bet big on other questions was nerve-wracking, said Chad Felgner, who attended the tapings with Mr. Presloid’s mother.
“You could hear gasps in the audience,” he said. “And I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, what are you doing?’ But he’s a smart guy.”
Subjects Mr. Presloid felt sure of — science, geography, and history — didn’t require much preparation.
“I didn’t want to go crazy, lose sleep, and stay up until 3 o’clock in the morning reading and trying to cram,” he said.
To bolster weaknesses in arts and literature, he checked out library books for a primer. It paid off. He’s certain he wouldn’t have recognized a poem by John Donne in the aforementioned “Daily Double” without studying.
In between rounds, Mr. Presloid shared anecdotes about his work studying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease and his love of The Golden Girls.
This exchange between Alex and John was golden! #TodayOnJ! #GoldenGirls pic.twitter.com/F3Urmc3KeL
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) January 17, 2019
His stellar performance won him a legion of fans. In addition to a flurry of well-wishes from co-workers, at the gym, and in hundreds of text messages, he’s heard from fans from around the world.
Mark Wooten, a professor of medical microbiology and immunology at UT, knew Mr. Presloid was bright and a hard worker, but still was impressed at his run.
“Everyone’s been really excited to watch him go on and do well,” he said. “I am pretty much in awe of it.”
There aren’t extravagant plans for the money, but Mr. Presloid wants to travel internationally. He and his husband are looking into adoption or surrogacy and his winnings would help with both.
Oh my gosh this is perfect. @utoledo's John Presloid gets a question about ... Toledo! #jeopardy pic.twitter.com/rX3IB12aek
— Tyrel Linkhorn (@TyrelUT) January 18, 2019
While the experience was a bit of a blur, Mr. Presloid said his lasting impression includes the camaraderie among contestants and Mr. Trebek’s dry sense of humor. It lived up to the hype for the longtime Jeopardy! fan who has been applying since turning 18.
“Everyone gets on that shuttle to go to the studio and it’s like going to camp because everyone has the same dream, the same goals, and we’re sharing that experience,” he said.
First Published January 24, 2019, 2:41 a.m.
