Joey Odom
OXFORD, Miss. – University of Mississippi alumnus Joey Odom will demonstrate his sports knowledge while representing Ole Miss on an episode of “Sports Jeopardy!” airing Aug. 31.
Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Dan Patrick hosts the show, in its second season. The 30-minute quiz show follows the format of the popular game show “Jeopardy,” but with a focus on the world of sports. It airs Wednesdays on Sony’s online streaming app Crackle.
Odom, originally from Jackson, said his obsession with sports prompted him to audition.
“I decided because I absolutely love sports and trivia and thought I’d be pretty decent at it,” he said. “I always have a great time quizzing my friends and getting quizzed back.”
But getting on the show is a little more involved than that. More than 30,000 contestants have registered online, which involves a test of sports knowledge. After Odom succeeded at that portion of application, he was invited to audition in-person at a studio in Houston, Texas. He was well-liked and invited to become a contestant on the show, filmed at Sony Pictures in Los Angeles.
“It was a blast!” he said. “I had the absolute best time and all of the people there are just a delight to work with and fantastic at their jobs. From the people who took care of us backstage, Corina and Maggie, to the mike guy, Mitch, to the makeup personnel, Lisa and Sandy, I just had the best time and got to work with amazing professionals. I’m a very lucky guy who had an experience of a lifetime.”
As luck would have it, one of the questions on the show was about Ole Miss athletics.
“I kind of laughed when I was able to buzz in for that one,” Odom said.
Odom has lived in Oxford for 13 years. He earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and physics from UM in 2007 and then completed a master’s degree in mathematics in 2010, also at Ole Miss. Odom works in IT at Mortgage Trade, a company formed from FNC Inc.
Log in to the Crackle app Aug. 31 to see how Odom faired against the other contestants. The episode will also be available for on-demand streaming after its initial airing.