Liberty graduate and local teacher achieves dream of competing on “Jeopardy!”

“I think I can do this.”

That was the thought that sparked Jake Tomlin’s six-year journey from college student to “Jeopardy!” contestant.

In 2019, while pursuing his undergraduate degree in history through Liberty University Online Programs, Tomlin stumbled across the nation’s most iconic trivia television show, and an episode featuring a Civil War category. Since then, the history buff set his sights on one day standing behind one of the podiums, buzzer in hand.

“I just kind of set it as a goal for myself to be on the show, no matter how long it took,” Tomlin said, noting that he was itching to explore a new hobby.

“Jeopardy!” is the nation’s most competitive trivia TV program, spanning 42 seasons and collecting an average viewership of nearly 8 million each episode. Thousands try out each year, but only a select few secure spots on the coveted stage.

Tomlin, 29, lives in Lynchburg, with his wife, Brooke (’17), and their 1-year-old daughter, Ryleigh. He teaches civics and economics at Brookville Middle School and is the coach of Brookville High School’s Scholastic Bowl team. Tomlin received a bachelor’s in history (’19) and master’s in teaching secondary education (’21) from Liberty, and he recently defended his dissertation en route to completing a Ph.D. in history by the end of this year.

“Liberty is so great,” he said. “As a believer and as a Christian, I’ve always felt free and open to be myself. … Those research skills (I learned from Liberty) have helped me broaden my horizon and helped me learn about the world and all of God’s creation.”

Tomlin studied for his undergraduate and master’s degrees while utilizing the university’s continuing education benefit, working full time for Liberty’s Grounds: Facilities Planning & Management department.

The path to the “Jeopardy!” stage didn’t come easy. With applicants only permitted one tryout per year, Tomlin made a concerted effort to practice while juggling school, work, and family. He listened to trivia podcasts, joined local trivia leagues, and participated in small competitions.

“I didn’t really know what I was getting into,” he said. “But my desire (to appear on “Jeopardy!”) outweighed what it took to get there, truthfully. Even if you’re good enough to get on the show, there’s still a highly limited number of spots.”

Six years after committing to the pursuit, even waking up at 4 a.m. on some days to study, Tomlin received the call of his dreams on July 22.

It came on the same day he received an email from his dissertation advisor to schedule his defense. “I was really sideswiped by that,” Tomlin said. “It was a lot all at once.”

That night, he attended his brother-in-law’s birthday dinner but had to contain his excitement due to signing a non-disclosure agreement with the show’s producers. He said the months that followed — between his confirmation and the show’s recording date on Sept. 16 — were incredibly challenging on him personally. His father spent two weeks in the hospital battling an unknown life-threatening condition. At the same time, Tomlin juggled his teaching obligations while trying to complete his dissertation. Then, just one week before flying to California to record the episode, his wife was involved in a car accident that totaled their vehicle.

“I really don’t feel like I was able to prepare a whole lot (leading up to) ‘Jeopardy!’ minus the things I had trained for over the years,” he said.

Despite limited preparation just before the big day, Tomlin earned second place, pocketing $7,800 in prize money. He was bested by the show’s previous winner, Tom Devlin, who finished with $30,000. Brookville High School hosted a watch party when the episode aired on Oct. 23 on NBC.

Tomlin said he met fellow contestants from all walks of life, many who spent decades trying out for “Jeopardy!”.

“They were all super lovely people,” he said of the contestants, producers, and others involved with the show. “It was never about the money to me. I was hoping I could go out and make some good money with it, but at the same time, the love I have developed for trivia — and knowledge in general — far outweighed anything that I could have gotten with the money.”

“Even though I didn’t win, I still feel really blessed,” he added. “There are a lot of people who are more than deserving to be on that stage. … I was fortunate to be blessed by God to make it on that stage. I would rather have the chance to get up there and lose every time than sit at home in the comfort of never trying and never knowing. So, it was absolutely a privilege to lose.”

Tomlin credits his wife for her support and God for providing the strength and resolve to learn a new hobby and compete in the nation’s highest trivia arena.

“It is something I got to do, but it’s not because of me alone. It’s because of my wife and ultimately because of God,” he said. “This is absolutely not a personal achievement. Even though it was me who got to do it, it was something that happened because of my wife and because of God. I hope that regardless of everything else, I reflected Christ first and foremost, and that this stage can be used to spread His word and glorify His name.”

The watch party at Brookville High School was open to the public; family, friends, students, and coworkers joined in celebrating Tomlin’s milestone and roaring in applause whenever he answered a question correctly.

Tomlin hopes the experience inspires his students to become lifelong learners.

“That’s what I am as a teacher,” he said. “Students aren’t necessarily going to like the civics and economics that I’m going to teach them. But I can get them to enjoy learning a little bit more than when they walked into my class at the start of the semester.”

Tomlin isn’t the first Liberty alumnus to grace the “Jeopardy!” stage. Catherine Hardee (’12) won over $100,000 across five episodes in 2014, and Natalie Hathcote (’21) competed on the College Jeopardy! Championship as a junior in 2020. Both were standout members on Liberty’s Quiz Bowl team.