Described by one account as "Krameresque" and by Trebek himself as "outside the box, completely different from what many viewers expect a 'Jeopardy!' contestant to be," Rogers is known for his flair and quirky poses, pantomiming humorous actions when being introduced. Although he does not own a TV, he prepared for qualification by watching a lot of Jeopardy episodes and knowing its tricks.
- Before James Holzhauer, he was the only contestant with two of the top ten one-day totals: $69,000 on October 3, 2017 (third place), and $65,600 on October 2, 2017 (seventh place).
- He also set the record for largest successful Final Jeopardy wager with $34,000, before Holzhauer broke it with a $38,314 bet in his fourth game; regardless, Rogers still hold the largest non-Holzhauer bet.
Regular Play[]
| Game No. | Air Date | Final score | Cumulative Winnings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 26, 2017 | $36,000 | $36,000 | |
| 2 | September 27, 2017 | $23,900 | $59,900 | Austin's first game without a runaway. |
| 3 | September 28, 2017 | $36,200 | $96,100 | |
| 4 | September 29, 2017 | $27,000 | $123,100 | |
| 5 | October 2, 2017 | $65,600 | $188,700 | At the time, the fifth-highest one day winning. He has also earned over $60,000 in regular play since Roger Craig. |
| 6 | October 3, 2017 | $69,000 | $257,700 | Austin's second game without a runaway. Not only was this winning once again the fifth-highest one day total, but it was also the highest one day total in a non-runaway game. Additionally, $34,000 was the largest successful Final Jeopardy bet ever, and Rogers was, at the time, the only contestant to hold two spots in the top ten single game earnings leaderboard. |
| 7 | October 4, 2017 | $20,600 | $278,300 | Only regular-play game in which Rogers failed to provide a correct response in Final Jeopardy, instead electing for the humorous response of “What is a taco?” |
| 8 | October 5, 2017 | $28,600 | $306,900 | Austin's third game without a runaway |
| 9 | October 6, 2017 | $25,500 | $332,400 | Austin's fourth game without a runaway. |
| 10 | October 9, 2017 | $33,000 | $365,400 | The dividers between the players used during Final Jeopardy! are now retractable and players now stay at their lecterns for the closing credits. |
| 11 | October 10, 2017 | $29,300 | $394,700 | |
| 12 | October 11, 2017 | $16,300 | $411,000 | |
| 13 | October 12, 2017 | $33,150 | $413,000 | Austin's fifth game without a runaway. Scarlett Sims ends his streak. |
Tournament of Champions[]
In the third quarterfinal game, he faced 6-day champion Alan Lin and 2017 Teachers Tournament winner David Clemmons. He gave fourteen right responses and three wrong responses (including one DD). He and Alan got Final right. Alan's runaway propelled him to the semifinals. He got a wildcard.
In the first semifinal game, he faced 6-day champion Andrew Pau and 2017 College Championship winner Lilly Chin. He gave eighteen right responses and only one wrong response. He and Andrew got Final correct. His cover bet advanced him to the finals.
In the finals, he faced 9-day champion Buzzy Cohen and 6-day champion Alan Lin. In game one, he gave eighteen right responses (including one DD) and three wrong responses (including one DD). Final Jeopardy was a Triple Stumper after he wrote iPhone, crossed it out and changed it to iPad. He wagered $3,500. In game two, he gave fifteen right responses (including one DD) and two wrong responses. Final Jeopardy was another Triple Stumper, he wagered $10,000 and finished with $50,000 as second runner-up..
All-Star Games[]
All three finalists (including Seth Wilson and Buzzy Cohen) appeared at the Jeopardy! All-Star Games tournament relay in 2019.
Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament[]
He returned to JIT after 5 years and showed that he had lost weight unlike before.
Other Game Show Appearances[]
He was also a contestant on Cash Cab. He won $2,400 with one other rider doubling their winnings on the video bonus at the end of the trip.