David Bradley, an Atlanta carpenter and writer, competes Friday on Jeopardy.
Competing on Jeopardy (7:30 p.m. Friday on WXIA-TV NBC) is a life-long dream for Bradley who has taken an unlikely path to earn a coveted spot in the country's popular and highly competitive quiz show. Bradley, 55, is a high school dropout. He was kicked out high school for skipping too many classes. His senior year GPA was 1.6.
Although he was uninterested in school, he always had a thirst for knowledge and a love for reading. After high school, he worked in construction, and for several years he worked hanging sheet rock. All the while, he frequented yard sales and thrift stores, buying books on a variety of subjects. Many, he said, turned out to be college text books — science, history, physics. He read them all.
He also watched Jeopardy almost every week night, answering the questions with ease.
“It would be after work, and I would be on the couch drinking beer and watching Jeopardy and my buddies would say to me, ‘you should go on the show,’” he recalled.
Twenty five years ago, long before interested contestants took online tests, Bradley did in fact fill out a 3 by 5 index card indicating his interest in being on Jeopardy, but never heard back.
By the time Bradley was in his 40s, he found himself getting laid off repeatedly. He decided it was time to carve out a new profession. At age 45, he started going to college. He graduated from Georgia State University when he was 50. Inspired by a history class during his senior year, he wrote the book, "Martyrs of Guale: An Addison Kane History-Mystery" which is available on Amazon.
He continued to work in construction, mainly as a carpenter, while also devoting many hours to writing. He also continued to watch Jeopardy almost every week night.
About a year ago, Bradley took the Jeopardy online test, one of the of tens of thousands of people across the country who take the test every year. Before long, he learned he had made it to the next stage, and he participated in an audition at a hotel in Atlanta last June. Friday’s show was filmed in Los Angeles on Jan. 11. (Bradley is not allowed to discuss results from the show).
Bradley said his strongest subjects include humanities, history and world literature. He admits his weakest area is math.
And while Bradley couldn’t reveal any results, he raved about the experience of being on the show.
“The experience left me with such respect for the crew, the other contestants who were all so wickedly smart,” he said. “I watch it now with increased respect.”
He also enjoyed meeting Trebek, the host of the show in its 32nd season in syndication, with 25 million viewers each week.
“Alex is as warm and genuine and funny and human as you wished he would be,” he said.
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