A Houston Jeopardy! Champion

For as long as Eric Weldon-Schilling can remember, he has loved trivia. That passion led to his stepping onto the Jeopardy! stage to compete on one of TV’s most iconic game shows. “I’ve been watching since I was 8 and dreaming of being on the show since I was at least 15,” he says.

Born in Kentwood, Louisiana, where he spent his childhood, Schilling’s early days were far removed from the bustling city streets of his current home in Houston.

“I first started visiting Houston when I was 18, and immediately loved it,” he says. “It was so much bigger and more diverse than where I grew up. I moved here first in 2007 with an ex, and then again by myself in 2010.”

Today, Schilling balances his role as a lead bartender and bar manager with life as a self-described “old, boring married dude.” He finds joy in simple pleasures: spending time with JJ, his husband of six years, and their dogs, exploring Houston’s vibrant wine and cocktail scene, and walking the Navigation Esplanade. Museum hopping and enjoying East End festivals—especially the culturally rich Día de los Muertos celebrations—also top his list of favorite activities. But it’s his love of trivia games and Jeopardy! that truly excites him.

Growing up, Schilling was inspired by evenings spent watching the show with his grandmother. In high school, he was captain of his Quiz Bowl team for three years, all the while hoping and praying his dream of appearing on Jeopardy! would one day come true.

“No matter what else was going on in my life, I always tried to find a way to watch the show as close to every day as possible,” he says.“I’ve always been good at trivia and have a good memory, especially for facts and information. The real challenge was actually getting onto the show, which is notoriously difficult.”

Years of dedication finally paid off when he earned his spot. From the first moment he stepped onto the famous stage set, Schilling says he was overcome with emotion and shock.

“When Ken Jennings came out to say hello during rehearsal, I nearly fainted,” he says.

Schilling found the filming process both thrilling and intense. He remembers how surprisingly small the studio felt, and how quickly each episode was filmed, with breaks lasting only as long as a commercial.
A standout moment came after his big win.

“We immediately broke for lunch, and I was trying to process what just happened,” he says. “Our phones were off, so I couldn’t even text my husband or our best friend, who were in the audience. It was surreal hearing everyone call me champion.”

Schilling’s Jeopardy! journey came to an end after a nail-biting Final Jeopardy round about Super Bowl history.

“I saw the category and I think I audibly cursed,” he says. “I always knew it would probably be sports that knocked me out.”

Still, his performance left a mark, and there’s a chance he could return for a Second Chance or a Champions Tournament.

“That’s really up to the producers,” he says. “I certainly would love a chance to go back to Los Angeles and compete on the show again in any capacity. It was a great experience.”

Schilling is also proud to have represented the LGBTQ community on national TV, and he also hopes he made Houston viewers proud.

“It was really an honor,” he says. “I don’t know to what degree I represented the community since I don’t think many viewers would have realized that I am gay, and it never came up in the interviews. But I hope I was a good representative—not just for the LGBTQ+ community, but also for Houston and for other neurodivergent people like me who live with both ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.”

Schilling wasn’t all that surprised when he was diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder after he was 30.

“People on the spectrum tend to have very specific and intense interests,” he says. “And trivia was always one of mine. Like to the point that anyone who has ever known anything about me knows that one thing. I’m sure it’s helped in the sense that I have always had a curious mind and loved reading and knowing things. I’ve always had a good memory.”

Looking ahead, Schilling’s focus remains firmly on his Jeopardy! pastime. “My whole life has been focused on Jeopardy!,” he says. “I’ll keep watching every day, until either it ends or I do. I will always count this opportunity as probably the greatest experience of my life.”