Colby Burnett MAEd ’16 captains team in Jeopardy! All-Star Game

Feb. 20, 2019



Colby Burnett MAEd ’16 is one of Jeopardy's most recognizable faces, becoming the first contestant to win both the Teachers Tournament and the Tournament of Champions. He is captaining a team in the show's first-ever All-Star Game. 



In 2012, Governor Pat Quinn named December 18 as "Colby Burnett Day" in Illinois. Colby, who at the time was a teacher at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, later appeared on season 3 of TBS's reality game show King of the Nerds.



Colby grew up in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago and credits his mother with keeping him out of trouble, as well as enhancing his intellect by buying him an encyclopedia, which he has read from cover to cover. After winning Jeopardy!, Colby bought his mom a new home in Chicago. 



Read more: 2 Chicagoans compete in first ever 'Jeopardy!' All-Star Game