Discuss a comeback king. Drew Goins is formally certainly one of Jeopardy!‘s 2025 Second Probability champions!
Goins admitted to TV Insider that on the finish of the primary of the two-game finals, he was getting “completely dog-walked,” as his youthful brother, Zach, phrased it. “I went again into the inexperienced room in between the video games as we had been altering, and I mentioned, ‘Nicely, congratulations, Enzo. Good luck in Champions Wildcard no matter, no matter.’ It took an actual ‘what do I’ve to lose?’ mentality going into the second recreation to make up that floor. It’s solely as a result of I simply type of went full ship that I used to be capable of pull it off.”
And he did simply that. Getting into Ultimate Jeopardy, the fan favourite led the pack with 18,400 in opposition to Sam Cameron’s 16,600 and Enzo Cunanan’s 3,000. The class for the spherical was “Notable People,” with the clue studying, “Saying he fell in love together with his nation whereas a prisoner in another person’s, he devoted the remainder of his life to public service.” The right response was, “Who was John McCain?”
Goins and Cunanan had been the one gamers to supply the proper response, elevating their scores to 31,601 and 5,999, respectively, whereas Cameron dropped to eight,799. After their Day 2 scores had been mixed with Day 1, Goins was victorious with 36,301 in opposition to Cunanan’s 27,799 and Sam’s 12,199. In the end, Goins scored $35,000 in actual cash as he superior to the Champions Wildcard.
Under, Goins opens as much as TV Insider about what he did together with his prize cash, taking part in bar trivia after profitable, and the one who is “first in my Jeopardy! coronary heart.”
How did you react once you realized you’d gained?
Drew Goins: As soon as the proper reply was revealed, and I knew I had it proper, I type of entered this liminal area of, I believe one thing very, superb is about to occur. However what if my math is incorrect? What if there’s a misspelling or one thing? What if I in some way screwed it up? These had been essentially the most tense 15 seconds of my life. I felt like I used to be not respiration. After which all of the sudden it’s, “Drew, you’re the winner of the Second Probability competitors. Can we get 15,000 pictures of you? We’re whisking you off stage to go document a podcast. You don’t get to say hello to your loved ones but.” It felt just like the Mr. Krabs meme of him spiraling in a great way, although. Constructive trauma. It was really simply past my wildest, wildest desires.
Who was the primary individual from your loved ones you spoke to after you gained?
I believe it was my brother. My boyfriend has been unbelievable, however my brother has been… I grew up watching Jeopardy! with him. He’s been making me the follow boards. Earlier than each recreation, he had follow boards for me. He has been rooting me on from the beginning since we had been six and eight. He’s first in my Jeopardy! coronary heart.
Did you could have any plans in your prize cash?
I took a visit to Mexico. As soon as Jeopardy! was over, I booked a flight and simply laid on a seashore to not suppose for a couple of days. I did that on a budget. I used to be like, I don’t need to spend down this cash totally. However I did a bit modest trip in Mexico. I’ve paid off some pupil loans, which financed all of the data I wanted for Jeopardy! in order that looks like closing the circle a bit bit. The remainder of it, I believe I’m saving it for a wet day. YouTube TV is dear, although. That’s the one place to stream Jeopardy! for the time being, so I’ll be utilizing a few of my Jeopardy! winnings to proceed to have the ability to watch Jeopardy!.
How did you are feeling mentally coming into the Second Probability event?
It’s a special mindset, and it’s loopy as a result of I felt extra assured in myself, however I additionally felt commensurately extra intimidated by the opposite gamers as a result of these are all people who find themselves fierce opponents. In any other case, they wouldn’t have been introduced again for Second Probability. I believe my self-confidence edged out only a teeny little bit of the intimidation issue as a result of I’d performed a lot learning and likewise as a result of I informed myself, “Drew, you didn’t consider in your self sufficient the primary time. You’ve simply obtained to consider in your self this time.” However largely, it was simply elation greater than the rest, and with the ability to get again up there and step on the stage once more. Each little ingredient of it I savored the second time, like writing your identify on the teleprompter, taking a second through the industrial breaks and searching up on the set dressing and the board and the viewers and being like, wow, I’m actually right here. The primary time is such a blur. While you go on Jeopardy! and play only one recreation, it’s such as you’re in a dissociative state. It’s similar to a fugue state the complete time. The second time, it’s like with skydiving, proper? Everybody says you don’t keep in mind something out of your first skydive, and the second is the one the place you actually, actually get pleasure from it and keep in mind all the things and simply cherish that one.
Did you develop into associates or associates with any of your opponents?
All of us exchanged contact info. On the finish of the tape day, we went out and performed trivia collectively. We discovered a bar trivia and had been like this tremendous staff of Jeopardy! opponents. We gained bar trivia, in fact, and everybody was so good. The folks I performed in opposition to had been simply completely so great. All of us share this love of studying and trivia, and everybody looks like a nerd. While you put a bunch of nerds collectively who’re simply doing their favourite factor on the earth, they’re certain to develop into associates. On prime of that, everybody was simply so grateful to be again there for a second probability. There are not any egos within the room when everyone’s a loser, proper? At one level, Ken was like, “Nicely, we introduced again the very best of the very best.” And I’m like, technically, that is the very best of the worst, really. However it builds a ton of camaraderie to be in that group particularly.
What has this expertise meant to you?
I’m actually pleased with myself, particularly having come from the loss initially. I used to be pleased with myself after that, too, for attempting, however there’s nothing fairly just like the delight of getting up and attempting once more, proper? Even when I’d misplaced the primary Second Probability recreation, I’d really feel simply as proud for going again and simply doing it. As a lot as tremendous champs are celebrated and all the things and also you like to see a loopy journey, it’s not a lot about profitable as simply the worth that you just give to going out and doing it. The truth that folks worth the spirit of Jeopardy! a lot and simply studying and curiosity… you don’t win at being curious, proper? You might be curious as a result of that’s an finish into itself, proper? In order that’s simply thrilling to participate in a celebration of being an individual who likes to study, which is a contest solely in opposition to your self that by no means ends. You’ll be able to all the time study extra, and it’s all the time going to be fulfilling.
Who was your Jeopardy! idol rising up?
Ken, for positive. I want there was a extra fascinating reply than that, however I watched his authentic run. I noticed him lose in real-time. I used to be devastated. We had been on a household seashore trip. After which, Alex [Trebek], in fact. Past Ken, past Alex, the folks I used to be most jealous of rising up watching Jeopardy! was the Clue Crew. It was like Jimmy [McGuire] and Sarah [Whitcomb Foss], who would sometimes exit to go sizzling air ballooning for a video class about sizzling air balloons. Or they’d go into the Sahara for a class about deserts and stuff, so if the Clue Crew ever comes again, I’ll say I’m proper right here.
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