Edmonton librarian takes second place in Jeopardy! debut

Kyle Marshall has always loved trivia and recently he got to show the world just how much.

Marshall, an Edmonton Public Library branch manager, came in second place during his Jeopardy! debut Wednesday night.

"I was really close," he said. "I was just $400 behind going into Final Jeopardy."

Like many librarians, Marshall is a curious person and loves to learn new things. He applied for the show on the advice of a few friends who noticed his impressive performances in mock-jeopardy games.

"I've always been a fan of trivia my whole life," he said. "I'm just interested in knowledge and acquiring it through many different means."

That thirst for information would prove helpful when he was accepted to be a contestant with just one nerve-wracking month to prepare before filming.

"I was like, 'Do I really want to do this?'" Marshall said. "This is going to be a very stressful month leading up to it. What if I do really poorly?

"But then I really realized how great of an opportunity it was [and] I really kind of dug my heels in."

In between his full-time job and taking care of a toddler, Marshall squeezed in study nights with his partner, focusing on a few core subjects and plenty of mock-game play.

"The tough thing is they can really ask you anything on Jeopardy!, right? So studying is a little tricky," he added. "You can't cover all knowledge in a month so I did my best."

Marshall was anxious after some not-so-great results at rehearsals, but it all went well in the end – minus an answer or two.

"There are a few questions that, in hindsight, I really am a little embarrassed at what I answered," he said. "But you know, I did my best given the circumstances.

"It was a high-pressure situation."

The episode was filmed in March, so Marshall was back home for the airdate Wednesday and threw a watch party for family and friends.

"It was really cool to see them cheer me along," he added. "Even though I knew the outcome, they were completely invested."

"All told, I'm really happy with how it turned out and I'm proud to have had this incredible experience."

Marshall received $2,000 for second place. He said he has no plans yet for the prize money.

With files from CTV News Edmonton Miriam Valdes-Carletti