Brayden Smith

Brayden Smith
Name:	Brayden Andrew Smith
Born:	September 6, 1996
Birth Hometown:	Las Vegas, Nevada
Died:	February 5, 2021
Place of death:	Las Vegas, Nevada
Occupation:	Policy Intern

Brayden Andrew Smith (b. September 6, 1996 - d. February 5, 2021) was a native from Las Vegas, Nevada. Smith was a lifelong fan of the show. On February 5, 2021, Smith died from complications from a surgery at age 24.

Regular Play Winnings

• He was the last 5-time champion on the Alex Trebek era of Jeopardy, winning a total of $115,798. He was given the nickname “Billy Buzzsaw” by Alex after his second game. He was also extremely strong when it came to Daily Doubles; he found (and answered correctly) all nine Daily Doubles in the first three games of his run.
• As Alex’s final episode was originally slated to air on Christmas Day 2020, a day that is rife with pre-emptions, Brayden’s fifth and sixth games were preceded by two weeks of “Around The World With Alex” reruns.

Game No.	Air Date	Final score	Cumulative Winnings	Notes
1	December 15, 2020	$31,000	$31,000
2	December 16, 2020	$35,000	$66,000
3	December 17, 2020	$27,800	$93,800
4	December 18, 2020	$3,999	$97,799
5	January 4, 2021	$17,999	$115,798
6	January 5, 2021	$2,799	$117,798	Manisha Munshi ends his streak. He was the last 5-time champion of the Alex Trebek era.

Death

Exactly one month after the airdate of his last appearance, news of his sudden death arrives, and many people are saddened. Donations in his memory may be made to the Brayden Smith Memorial Fund, dedicated to furthering the educational aspirations of southern Nevada students.

The cause of death was unknown at the time, but it was later revealed to have been due to negligence of surgery.

Additional Page

• Evaluation

Common with Other Champions

Kevin Walsh

• In 1-3 game, they all won by landslide.
• Both are five-fight champions, their last titles under Alex. Kevin is the last five-game winning streak champion in Alex's lifetime, and Brayden is the last champion throughout his entire recording.
• Both gave way to the women's champion.

Trivia

• He was last 5+-time champion in Trebek era.
• Brayden's last two games would have aired on December 21st and 22nd, 2020, if they had been, but in order for many to remember Alex Trebek, the filming of his last broadcast week was delayed by two weeks and replaced with a two-week rerun during the Christmas break. Accordingly, his broadcast continued until 2021, next year.
• Due to his sudden death, his ToC position was taken by Steve Moulds, the best record holder of a 3-time champ.
• Like Cindy Stowell and Larry Martin, he is the third champion to die before appearing on the ToC.
• From January 5, 2021, when his last regular game, the requirement to advance to the ToC changed from a minimum of 3 wins to 4 wins, and those with less than 3 wins were given a chance if they win the Second Chance Competition.