How a Alabama sportscaster won big on Wheel of Fortune

Damian Mitchell never intended to appear on Wheel of Fortune.

Mitchell, a native of Maplesville, Alabama and sportscaster on WJOX in Birmingham told The Bama Buzz he just happened to be mindlessly looking for something to watch on TV last June when he landed on Wheel of Fortune.

“I watched the last maybe 10 minutes of an episode. They have this link at the end of each episode — “If you want to be a contestant, apply here” — so I applied. I had nothing else to do at 6:48 on a random Wednesday night.”

Damian Mitchell

Months later, thanks to that impulsive moment, Mitchell landed a spot on the legendary show in February and proceeded to win more than $32,000 in winnings, including a trip to Panama. 

The episode premiered Monday, March 23. 

Wheel of Fortune invite

Mitchell’s appearance on the game show was a big leap of faith. After taking a test on a Zoom call in December, the producers of Wheel of Fortune got back to him with an email after Martin Luther King Jr. Day to invite him to the Feb. 6 taping in Los Angeles. They gave him 48 hours to respond.

There was one big obstacle keeping him from accepting the offer.

Mitchell is engaged to get married to Taylor Akins in June 2026.

“I looked at the email, I was like, this is crazy! Can’t believe I’ve gotten to this point. The second thing I did was call my fiance. 

“I said, ‘Hey baby, I know we are in the process of planning a wedding, but I’ve got to confirm or deny if I’m going to be on the Wheel of Fortune.’ She kind of took a breath, she paused, and she’s like, ‘So you’re calling me to tell me that we’re about to put some money aside to go on Wheel of Fortune?’”

Damian Mitchell

Akins eventually agreed, joking that maybe it would help pay for the wedding in the long run. And she was right. 

Wheel of Fortune — “on my bucket list”

Mitchell won three puzzles and what is soon to be a honeymoon trip to Panama.

Along the way, he got to meet Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest but most importantly, of course, spin the famous wheel — which he said is fairly heavy and not as easy as it looks.

“It was a blast. I didn’t even know Wheel of Fortune was on my bucket list, but it was. I knocked it off, man. It was fun. I enjoyed every second of it.”

Damian Mitchell

Want to watch Damian on Wheel of Fortune? Watch the March 23 episode this week on Hulu or Peacock.