Knobler attended the regional tryouts in Philadelphia, where he and about 1,000 other contestants were asked to answer 50 questions displayed on the typical "Jeopardy!" blue screen.

"The 14 people who passed the exam had their name read out and the rest were told they could leave," Knobler said. "The coordinators consoled them by saying, 'If you didn't get called, you can tell everyone you missed by just one question.'"

The remaining 14 contestants were interviewed by the tournament coordinators. They were asked about their school, year, major, interests and experience, as well as what they would do with the $50,000 prize if they won.

"I didn't have a rehearsed answer like many people so I didn't really know what to say," Knobler said. "I ended up saying I would use the money to take a trip to China."

Grant Loud, "Jeopardy!" contestant coordinator, said the four coordinators involved in contestant selection were looking for people that seemed relaxed and looked like they were having fun.

"I don't think people realize how much of a game 'Jeopardy!' is," he said. "There is much more [than trivia] that goes into it, such as ringing in at the correct time and keeping the momentum going."

Knobler received a Federal Express package notifying him that he was a semifinalist just as he was pulling out of the driveway headed for a family vacation.