Driver’s ed teacher takes a spin on ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ wins over $65K

It takes a lot to rattle a seasoned driver’s education teacher, but Steve Knapp admitted to some frayed nerves after a recent winning appearance on the TV game show “Wheel of Fortune.”

Knapp, who lives in Hampshire and teaches at Larkin High School in Elgin, said he’s watched and played “his whole life,” first with his brother and parents and now with his wife and kids.

But when it comes to “Wheel of Fortune,” it’s a lot easier to be good on your living room couch.

“It is 100% different when you're actually there,” he said. “The nerves, Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White being there, you’re going against two other people, and you’re trying to win actual money. There’s a lot going on.”

Knapp overcame all those distractions, winning $65,800 in cash and prizes while appearing on the show that aired last Tuesday, Jan. 20.

“It was an awesome experience,” he said, calling it a “bucket list” experience. “I’m so glad I got the opportunity to do it.”

Knapp applied to be on the show in March of 2024. He said he got an email back within a week for an audition, which turned into a couple more auditions. He received an invite to be on the show about a year and a half later.

Knapp shot the episode in December. But he kept the secret of how he did from everyone except his wife. His three kids, ages 13, 10 and 7, didn’t even know how he did until they saw it at a watch party for family and friends at Old Republic in Elgin when it aired.

Things started slowly for Knapp with a “lose a turn” on his first spin, then a gamble he lost on a mystery wedge. Another player won the first three puzzles.

“At the watch party, that was one of the coolest experiences, seeing everybody’s reactions,” he said. “It was great to see when I got a ‘bankrupt’ or ‘lose a turn,’ how upset they were.”

Knapp solved a “before and after” puzzle, then the prize puzzle that won him a trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. After solving a third puzzle, he made it to the bonus round and chose “What are you doing?” as his category.

He said it was a strategy he and his wife had talked about ever since auditioning.

“That's one of my favorite categories,” he said. “And once I saw that, I knew immediately which one I was picking. Because I know the first word always ends in ‘ing’.”

After being given the T, N, S, L, R and E, Knapp chose G, C, M and A. He worked out the answer in his head, but said it isn’t as simple as it looks.

“Once that counter starts going down and you’ve got the envelope with Ryan Seacrest and it could be $100,000 in there, you’re just thinking, ‘holy cow, I don’t think I’m gonna get it’,” he said.

But he did. Within a few seconds, Knapp came up with “giving an autograph.”

“It was crazy,” he said.

While the envelope didn’t reveal the $100,000, he did win a Nissan Z sports car valued at over $45,000. Knapp said he’s expecting to receive his prizes soon and is working on the tax implications. He’s already making plans for the Punta Cana trip.

“Me and my wife never went on a honeymoon,” he said. “It will be our 19th anniversary this coming year, so that will be a perfect gift for her.”

Knapp wasn’t at school on Wednesday, the day after it aired. But when he returned Thursday, his students all asked to see the episode in class.

“I probably shouldn’t say this, but I showed them some snippets of me on ‘Wheel of Fortune,’” he said. “The kids loved it. It was really cool.”

And now Knapp has bragging rights over the family with whom he’s played so many times on the couch.

“I can do that for the rest of my life,” he said.