Aaron Rodgers isn't the first NFL player to host a famous game show

ESPN

Rodgers guest-hosting Jeopardy! has a precedent as far as NFL players-turned-game show hosts go. In 1989, Pat Sajak left the daytime version of Wheel of Fortune to host The Pat Sajak Show on CBS. He was replaced by former San Diego Chargers kicker Rolf Benirschke. "Unlike Rodgers, an avid fan and former celebrity contestant on Jeopardy!, Benirschke had no previous experience or even an affinity for the game show he hosted," explains ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "He just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It started with an appearance on a local morning show in Los Angeles, where Benirschke went on behalf of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (he suffered from ulcerative colitis during his playing career). He joked that the two things you never want to do in TV are follow kids and follow animals. Sure enough, the first guests were from a children’s theater group performing Les Miserables, and the second was a man who was promoting what would be the 'pet of the 1990s -- rabbits.'....Little did Benirschke know but TV executive and Wheel of Fortune creator Merv Griffin happened to catch the segment. Griffin called him a few days later and wanted to know if Benirschke was interested in auditioning for a new game show." Benirschke's stint didn't last long, as NBC canceled Wheel of Fortune after 14 years. The show resurfaced on CBS with new host Bob Goen. Benirschke hasn't watched Rodgers' stint on Jeopardy!, but they know each other from belonging to the same San Diego golf club. “Here’s the thing: He’s a bright guy, and I think he enjoys that,” Benirschke said of Rodgers. “It gets to show the world that football players aren’t just football players. There are some really bright guys in the league that do other things.” ALSO: Jimmy Kimmel teases next week's Jeopardy! guest-host Anderson Cooper by playing his Jeopardy! fails.