Today’s installment of Jeopardy!—currently working its way through its annual Tournament of Champions, with guest host Buzzy Cohen at the podium—took time off for a somber note. The long-running game show (which is still finding its footing in the wake of Alex Trebek’s death late last year) paused to offer a tribute to a contestant who, by all rights, should have been competing in this year’s tourney, which regularly highlights the show’s most successful players: 24-year-old five-time champion Brayden Smith.
Cohen announced that Jeopardy! will be donating to a fund established in Smith’s name by his family, which is “is dedicated to furthering the educational aspirations of southern Nevada students,” like himself. Smith’s episodes were originally aired back in January; he ended up winning $115,798 on the show, and a nickname from Trebek for his lightning fast reflexes: Billy Buzzsaw.
