‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Ryan Long Nearly Dies, Shares Hospital Details

Jeopardy! champ Ryan Long nearly died. He shared the details of his hospital stay with fans of the show. The 39-year-old saw the end of his reign on Monday, June 6. Fans witness Eric Ahasic take him down. As TV Shows Ace previously reported, they wondered if Ryan felt defeated by the end.

They noticed that his demeanor was different than in previous episodes. Ryan hasn’t had a good week. He was also snubbed by Twitter. The rideshare driver asked the social media app to verify him with a blue checkmark. However, Twitter denied his request even though his fellow champs have one.

Now, Ryan Long is sharing his story of how he almost died. He was rushed to the hospital just months before his Jeopardy! winning streak.

Ryan Long was on the brink of death

On the Jeopardy! website, Ryan Long shared another story about himself. He shared how he ended up on the popular game show. He took an “online test in September of 2020.” This led him to take a “Zoom audition.” Since he didn’t hear from the show right away, he assumed that he didn’t make the cut.

“I was not the most confident person in the world, but I did it, thinking the whole time, ‘There’s no way they’re ever gonna let my mug on TV,'” Ryan Long said. “Still, I was happy I’d actually tried. At least I could say that. Life went back to normal, I got better, and in early January, I went back to work.”

The Philadelphia native tested positive for COVID. Ryan was lucky and never caught the novel virus before. Unfortunately, he was unlucky and caught it while back at work. Ryan was on medical leave prior to his COVID diagnosis.

A long way from this guy to this guy… 🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/MMg9NFYP8a

— Ryan Long (@blirish_charm) May 28, 2022

“It went bad pretty quickly. I ended up in the hospital for two and a half weeks…” Ryan Long explained. “The hospital staff brought it home to me pretty quickly that they weren’t sure I’d make it.”

Jeopardy! champ is lucky to be alive

He’s counting his lucky stars. Ryan Long said that he keeps a picture of his “saturated lungs” on his phone to remind himself “how close I came to never seeing my son again.” Ryan has a son named Nathan. In a previous episode, Ryan said he would use his winnings to spend time with his child in California.

“The only thing I have planned is taking my son on a trip, he wants to come out here- he’s been curious about what I’ve been doing,” Ryan Long told host Mayim Bialik during the Q&A part of the game show.

He learned a lesson from his hospital scare. Ryan said he will never take his life for granted. It also “relit a fire in me” that allowed him to take risks, such as trying out for the quiz show. Ryan no longer doesn’t just want “get through” life. He wants to live it.

Ryan, it's been a pleasure watching you play. *Arnold voice* YOU'LL BE BACK (in the Tournament of Champions). https://t.co/RQ0m7Ys7KF

— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) June 7, 2022

Ryan Long lost his run on Monday’s show. He ended up with 16 consecutive wins and $299k in total. Some fans wondered if Ryan “threw the game” because he struggled. What are your thoughts on Ryan’s hospital stay? Sound off below in the comment section.

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