Trebek: the people's champion

HURON — His Hollywood stature suggests he's anything but relatable to the common person. But, between his legendary podium and the iconic blue game board — where he stood for 37 seasons, spanning 8,200-plus episodes — stood a man who embodied so many endearing qualities, which allowed him to connect with the millions watching his half-hour program every day. It's one of the main takeaways Rod Swain vividly remembers about Alex Trebek, the renowned "Jeopardy!" host who died on Sunday. Trebek, 80, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Swain, a 2005 Huron High School graduate, appeared on the famed game show in October 2017, taking home second-place honors. He ended up donating his entire winnings, $2,000, to CelebrateOne, a nonprofit addressing infant mortality in the Columbus area, where Swain lives. Standout moments Among Swain's most fond memories of "Jeopardy!" involves Trebek as he: • Wanted to deliver the best experience possible "Occasionally, he would misread a question or stop sometimes during the commercial to re-film his audio," Swain said. "He is definitely a perfectionist. He wanted to make sure all the questions he read on air were perfectly read. He did that because he understood what the show means to people. It speaks to his professionalism and his desire for the viewing experience for it to be perfect for people watching it on the other side of the TV." • Made the audience feel comfortable Trebek enjoyed interacting with the studio audience during commercial breaks, Swain said. "It's usually filmed with family members but also random people who come just to watch the show," Swain said. "He took time to field questions from them for about 10 to 15 minutes. He was heavily involved, and it was so cool." • Enjoyed snacks for breakfast Trebek divulged his favorite meal for breakfast, which pleasantly shocked Swain. "He talked about how, every morning, he would eat a Snickers bar and drink a Diet Pepsi," Swain said. "People thought he was kidding, but he was being serious. Many people see him as a really serious guy, but he's just a guy who eats Snickers and drinks Diet Pepsi. That's great." • Shared an anecdote After an episode's first commercial break, Trebek normally speaks with each contestant so the viewers can get a better idea of who's playing. Trebek can't speak with the show's contestants prior to when filming starts, since he knows all the answers and could give someone an unfair advantage. In a pre-production meeting, Swain explained how he prepared three anecdotes for Trebek to possibly read on air. Swain's preferred option — how he named his kitty Cat Benatar, a play on words to honor singer-songwriter Pat Benatar — didn't make the cut. So what did? "The one he went with was that I served in AmeriCorps right after college," said Swain. AmeriCorps represents a nationwide service organization that helps to improve lives and foster civic engagement. "I had my suspicions that he would pick that one," Swain said. "I did two years of national service, and I currently work as a recruiter through AmeriCorps. It became my career." Trebek supported many causes throughout his life, which included finding a cure for pancreatic cancer. He also established the Trebek Family Foundation, which assists many charities. Final memories About 10 people text messaged Swain on Sunday after they heard of Trebek's death. "Their first thought was to reach out to me and express their condolences just to remark how sad it was," Swain said. Swain grew up watching "Jeopardy!" quite often with his sister, Alex (Swain) Anthony in their grandparents' home. "For me, it's a great sense of loss, especially during this crazy year we are all going through," Swain said. "This is something that has definitely affected people in a lot of different ways. For me, I'm 34, and he's been on TV every night for my whole life. He was always there for me, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet him and play on the show. It's something I'll never forget."