Former NFL star Rashad Jennings was in the spotlight last week on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune when he made an embarrassing blunder. However, instead of letting it get to him, he turned it into a new media venture.
Rashad Jennings, a former NFL running back and winner of season 24 of Dancing With the Stars in 2017, went viral for his lack of knowledge about director Quentin Tarantino on Wheel of Fortune. This unexpected attention led to an interesting turn of events.
How it started
During his appearance on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Jennings was playing alongside retired NFL players Marcellus Wiley and Jared Allen. They encountered a puzzle in the “Rhyme Time” category that read, “Driving to Reno with Quentin Tarantino.” The entire puzzle was visible on the board, except for the letter “Q.”
Jennings seemed unsure about the missing letter, and host Pat Sajak offered him another spin in hopes of triggering a realization. However, when Jennings had to guess a letter the next time, he mistakenly chose “P,” resulting in the name “Puentin Tarantino.”
While his fellow contestants didn’t make a big deal out of it, the moment attracted plenty of attention and reaction on social media.
Rashad Jennings doesn’t know who Quentin Tarantino is… interesting.
And back to wheel of fortune.
— KT (@sloyoroll01973) October 19, 2023
Jennings eventually won $6,000 for the game, and host Pat Sajak increased it to $30,000 for Jennings’ chosen beneficiary, the Rashad Jennings Foundation.
How it’s going
On Jimmy Kimmel Live, host Jimmy Kimmel couldn’t stop thinking about Jennings’ blunder and invited him to share the whole story. Jennings humorously admitted his mistake, attributing it to a “brain fart” that occurred at the most inconvenient moment.
Kimmel learned that Jennings actually loves Tarantino’s movies and was not oblivious to his work. Jennings explained that the missing first letter caused a mental block, but as soon as it popped up, he knew the correct answer.
Kimmel seized the opportunity to have some fun by presenting Jennings with Wheel of Fortune-style puzzles missing just one letter, which he solved effortlessly. As a redemption prize, Jennings received a box set of every Tarantino movie, the Wheel of Fortune board game, and a crossword puzzle book with almost all the letters filled in.
Before leaving, Jennings expressed his gratitude to Kimmel, as the host had predicted his victory on Dancing With the Stars in the past. He also revealed his plans to start a new podcast inspired by his experience on Wheel of Fortune, where he and his guests will discuss their mistakes in life and how they overcame them.
Kimmel was pleasantly surprised that Jennings had turned a blunder into something positive and wished him well. The segment ended with Kimmel’s sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, changing out of his Vanna White dress.
Jimmy Kimmel Live airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on ABC.
