Wheel of Fortune Player Turns Heads After Solving Tough $65k Puzzle 

A Wheel of Fortune episode delivered a moment fans are still debating after one contestant celebrated a massive win — and sparked a social media firestorm moments later.

The twist? The lucky player who danced his way into a brand-new car just happens to teach driver’s education for a living.

Steve Knapp of Hampshire, Illinois, took center stage on the January 20 broadcast, squaring off against Sharisse Cohee from San Diego and Stacy Robinson of Columbus, Ohio. Knapp, who teaches at Larkin High School, is known for being ambidextrous behind the wheel — a fitting detail for a night that would end with car keys in hand.

The game opened with Cohee gaining early momentum. A fantasy sports enthusiast, she capitalized after Robinson — a grandmother of six — stumbled on a toss-up. Cohee followed that with another correct solve, quickly building a $3,000 lead.

Her run continued when she cracked the phrase “Take It With a Grain of Salt,” boosting her total past $7,000 and putting pressure on the competition.

Things took a chaotic turn during the Mystery Round, where all three contestants hit the dreaded Bankrupt wedge. With the board wiped clean, Knapp finally broke through, solving a clever “Before & After” puzzle — “Word of Wisdom Tooth” — and collecting $2,750.

The momentum swung again during the Prize Puzzle. Cohee boarded the Express Train but derailed herself by calling a letter that wasn’t on the board, sending her straight to Bankrupt. Robinson soon followed. Knapp seized the opening, solving “Luxurious Getaway” and locking in a trip to Punta Cana, pushing his total past $15,000.

The Triple Toss-Ups brought fast action. Knapp narrowly missed the first puzzle with an incorrect phrase, allowing Cohee to grab the cash. Robinson then surged late, solving the remaining two toss-ups to finally get on the scoreboard.

In the final puzzle, Knapp delivered when it mattered most, correctly identifying “Make It To the Super Bowl.” The solve gave him $20,400 and secured his spot in the Bonus Round.

Cohee exited with $9,350, while Robinson finished with $4,000.

For the final challenge, Knapp selected the category “What Are You Doing?” and invited his wife and a longtime childhood friend to stand beside him.

After receiving the standard letters — R, S, T, L, N and E — he added G, C, M and A. The puzzle filled in to read: “G_ _ NG AN A_T_GRA _.”

With seconds still on the clock, Knapp confidently delivered his answer: “Giving an autograph.”

Host Ryan Seacrest immediately confirmed the solve — and Knapp erupted in celebration, breaking into a spontaneous dance.

“Was that your foxtrot?” Seacrest joked.

“Something like that,” Knapp laughed.

Then came the big reveal: a Nissan sat inside the envelope, pushing his overall winnings to $65,800.

But the celebration didn’t end there.

Shortly after the episode aired, fans flooded online forums questioning whether Knapp had actually said the correct word. Several viewers insisted they heard “getting” instead of “giving,” igniting a spirited debate.

Others replayed the clip frame by frame and concluded the judges got it right — though many admitted their first reaction was shock.

So what did he really say?

The internet remains divided — and Wheel of Fortune fans are still talking.