Rocky Hill Police Officer Will Jordan took his turn at the wheel on Monday's episode, Nov. 11, where he walked away with $8,000 in prize money.
Jordan struggled with the puzzles throughout the game. He was in a position to answer three of them but misspoke one — reading "give yourself a round of applause" as "treat yourself a round of sausage" — and was unable to solve two others after multiple spins.
He told Maggie Sajak in a TikTok video that the pressure of the moment got to him, but he hoped his blunder would make one famous "Wheel Watcher" laugh.
"I tell ya when the lights are on and the stars — Ryan Seacrest, Vanna White — I just went blank," Jordan told Maggie Sajak, daughter of former host Pat Sajak. "But if your dad, in retirement, is watching the show, maybe cracks a beer and gets a laugh, it was worth it."
Jordan joked that he expected his fellow police officers to fill his car and locker with sausages once the episode aired.
Jordan went into the final puzzle with no money, but he scored $8,000 as he deciphered the puzzle answer "Necklines and Hemlines," which had stumped his fellow contestants.
The last-second heroics impressed new host Ryan Seacrest, who said it reminded him of an exciting football play.
Jordan was a petty officer in the US Coast Guard before joining the Newington Police Department. After he retired, he accepted a school resource officer position with Rocky Hill PD, police said in a Facebook post.
Jordan on the show discussed his love of working with students.
Jordan and Rocky Hill Police hope to use his appearance on the syndicated game show to support an area charity. Jordan chose the Rocky Hill Human Services Food Bank.
Anyone who wants to donate can make purchases on Amazon and have the items sent to the Rocky Hill Police Department at 699 Old Main Street, Rocky Hill, CT 06067, Attn: Food Donation.
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