Hey Philadelphia, I'm Roger Craig from Newark, Delaware. Watch me on Jeopardy!
[2010-09-13 Winner's Circle interview]
Talk about your Daily Doubles.
Uh, yeah, I made two True Daily Doubles. The first, um, I had--I didn't have that much money, but the second, yeah, I bet really big, because I was pretty confident about knowing the elements, so, and I lucked out and knew the answer.
Are you ready to defend your title tomorrow?
Definitely, I'm definitely ready to come back tomorrow.
Any messages to the folks back home?
First off, I'd just like to thank my mother. You know, without her, I wouldn't be here. Um, she taught me how to read, whole lifelong, uh, trip of learning, and just every teacher I've ever had from kindergarten up through graduate school.
[2010-09-14 Winner's Circle interview]
How does it feel to break the record for one day earnings on Jeopardy!?
[Zoom out from Roger's $77,000 podium total to Roger putting his hands up in victory] Yes!
Talk about Final Jeopardy!
So, for Final Jeopardy!, I had the chance to set the record, as Alex said, and, I knew, um, I wouldn't be in danger of losing if I did, so I thought, what the heck, I'll go for it. And I lucked out and knew the answer.
Do you have any advice for future Jeopardy! contestants?
Um... Yeah, I think--I think the thing s breadth. Just study as--you know, study things you don't know much about. That's probably the key. And don't really, uh, spend time on the things you know. I think that's the best, uh, advice I could give, yeah.
[2010-09-15 Winner's Circle interview]
How does it feel to win your third game?
So I'm a 3-time Jeopardy! champion, this is, uh, going better than I even dreamt possible, and... yeah. Just amazing, what can happen when you get here.
Was there a turning point for you?
Yeah, during Double Jeopardy!, I missed the Daily Double, and then, uh, Kevin started to make a move, and, actually, I got kind of worried, and I had to buzz in and y'know get some questions here and there, and just make sure I had the lead going into Final Jeopardy!
Any plans for your winnings?
The biggest difference this money's going to make for me is I'll be able to pay off some of my loans, I'm going to get a new car, uh, not go totally crazy, but, y'know, definitely, uh, enjoy it.
[2010-09-16 Winner's Circle interview]
How did you prepare for your appearance on Jeopardy!?
I prepared for the games by watching the show, and also, um, uh, reading as much as I could on the things that came up that I wasn't sure about, uh, for instance, like, Caldecott winners, etc. Um, but yeah, that was generally it. Uh, used some techniques to figure out, like, what the most important things to study were.
Do you have any goals as the Jeopardy! champion?
My expectations were, I just--I just wanted to be able to buzz in, and get in, and the next goal I had was I wanted to answer a question and get it right, and then just try to do that again, uh, build up some points on the board, try to get a lead, you know, and then win a game. Um, I kind of lucked out in my first game. Things just went really well--it didn't start too well, but it--it started to go better and just got on a roll. And, yeah, I mean, I tried to visualize success, but this is, y'know, way more than I ever dreamt of.
Any plans for your winnings?
Yeah, I'm gonna, uh, pay off school loans, get a new car, um, y'know--not--not go totally crazy, but, y'know, enjoy myself.
[2010-09-17 Winner's Circle interview]
How does it feel to win your fifth game?
Yeah, so I'm a 5-day champion, um, just won $200,000, uh, it's been an incredible experience, and a possibly life-changing amount of money, um... I just... yeah... I'm at a loss for words. It's amazing.
Any messages to the folks back home?
I just would really like to seriously thank all of my teachers that I've ever had, and, if possible, they could get in touch with me, I'd love to hear from them. And, just, y'know, e-mail, talk on phone, whatever, I would--I would love to hear from some of them.
Will your winnings change your post grad school plans?
So I'm gonna finishing up school soon, and I would love to get a job, or whatever, in the pharmaceutical industry, etc., um, but I'd also, uh, possibly like to write, so this may give me the opportunity to write some, and, uh, especially some of my ideas about learning, etc.
[2010-09-20 Winner's Circle interview]
What was your reaction when you learned you are now one of the top five money winners in Jeopardy! history?
I heard Alex say that I was one of the top five money winners ever in Jeopardy! history, and I was totally shocked. Um, I just... I didn't even realize that. It just blew my mind.
Would you like to compete against any other members of the "Top 5" club?
Other players in that "Top 5", I'd love to play against? Yeah, I'd love to play against Ken Jennings, or Dave Madden, any of them, in a, uh, special tournament. That would be amazing, yeah.
Tell us about your Final Jeopardy! wager.
So for the last Final Jeopardy!, I made a, uh, small wager, even though I've been making big wagers. I did that, um, just to be sure that, uh, I could win if, uh, we both got it right. Um, we both ended up getting it wrong, though, so, that also worked out. Um, I wasn't as confident in WESTERN HEMISPHERE, that I would know the answer, so I kinda, y'know, tamped it down a bit. |
