Eric Backes Twitter
Eric Backes is the reining champion of Jeopardy, looking to extend his streak to four days on Thursday evening.
According to Rutgers Today, Backes is an alum of Rutgers University, who graduated in 1999. The publication reports that he has taken “countless” online screen tests for tryouts over the last 12 years — and it’s finally paid off.
Over the last three days, Backes has won Jeopardy back to back to back, earning over $90,000 as the reining champion.
Here’s what you need to know about the Jeopardy whiz:
Backes: ‘It Took Me a While to Keep My Hand from shaking’
.@BackesEric is on a @Jeopardy winning streak, bringing his three-day total to $91,201!
The #Rutgers alum (LC’99) will appear this evening at 7 PM to defend his title as the returning champion. #RutgersPride
To Rutger Today, Backes explained how exciting and nerve-wracking the experience on Jeopardy has been so far. He said, “It took me a while to keep my hand from shaking as I clenched the buzzer. I kept thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m here.’”
Backes added, “I’ve always been a voracious reader. And my parents got me the World Almanac every year because I was so interested in stuff like state capitals, famous people and geography.”
Monday’s show was actually taped on January 14, the publication explained, so Backes wasn’t able to tell the publication about his astounding success. All he said was, “It became a matter of buzzing in at the right time. Then it’s all about betting correctly when you get a Daily Double to put yourself ahead of everybody else.”
Backes Lives in Round Rock, Texas, With His Wife & Two Kids
According to Rutgers Today, Backes and his wife, Bethany, who also went to Rutgers, now live in Texas with their children, two-year-old Maeve and five-year-old Emelia.
Both Backes and his wife, Bethany, are active on Twitter. Bethany’s Twitter bio reads, “Mother, Wife, Sister, VAW Researcher & Practitioner, PhD, Social Worker, Public Health Advocate, avid reader, sports buff”
Backes’ Twitter bio reads, “I’m gonna be on Jeopardy! February 11. Watch!”