PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Ryan Long looked less comfortable being celebrated at City Hall on Tuesday than when he was on television in June, achieving game show greatness by winning 16 games in a row on “Jeopardy!”
Mayor Jim Kenney presented Long with Philadelphia’s award of honor — a model of the Liberty Bell.
“I’m proud to present you, Ryan, with this Liberty Bell to recognize your hard work and accomplishments,” Kenney said.
Asked what his secret is, Long said, “I guess being too dumb to realize it was a big deal. Yeah, it wasn’t the smart thing, it was the dumb thing that helped me.”
Long, of course, is being modest — a quality that, along with his trivia prowess, sense of humor and impressions of Arnold Schwarzenegger, made him a fan favorite.
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But it’s also true: He packed only two shirts for what turned out to be a more-than-three-week stint recording episodes of the show.
And he forgot his glasses.
A cool head is an asset on “Jeopardy!” but the Mt. Airy man says he also reads a lot and has a knack for retaining information.
After one year at Philadelphia Community College, he went to work for SEPTA, but a serious bout of COVID-19 left him weakened. He was driving for Uber when “Jeopardy!” called.
He won just under $300,000, which he says has changed his life.
“I don’t have to struggle. I have time to do things, I’m learning a couple languages and pursuing things I want to do, not dogging myself out for 14 hours a day.”
Next, Long says, he is looking forward to taking his son with him to California next month for the show’s “Tournament of Champions.”
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