Steven Olson became an overnight Bureau County celebrity last fall playing on the game show Jeopardy, winning four games and collecting a cash prize of more than $74,000.

That dream-come-true appearance earned the Princeton band director a return trip to Jeopardy’s Tournament of Champions. The tournament taped during the week of Nov. 17. Olson’s show will air on Friday, Jan. 23.

Olson is one of 20 contestants for the Tournament of Champions lineup, including Celebrity Jeopardy winners Lisa Ann Walters and W. Kamau Bell. Olson is ranked 13th, one of five contestants with four wins, with earnings of $74,382. Everyone competing has won at least three games.

Scott Riccardi of Somerville, New Jersey, heads the list of regular contests with 16 wins and a cash prize of $455,000.

Olson said he felt more at ease than he did in his appearance since he had already experienced all that comes with the Hollywood experience.

“For this tournament, I was able to just come in and truly enjoy it because it was so incredible just to be there,” he said. “It seemed like almost all of my fellow champions had the same experience because the vibes were excellent and we had a lot of fun. I’m still so impressed at how everyone competing is so personable and nice.

“In my original run of games, I found that it was a lot of fun after my first game because I had already exceeded my expectations by winning and I knew what to expect. So in game play, I definitely was much calmer and looser than my first game, which hopefully will come across when it airs. Even on stage, I was able to joke with the other contestants during breaks because we had all already achieved so much.”

While he can’t share any specifics or outcome of the show, Olson said, the difficulty of the content overall is a little bit harder than the regular-season play.

“I liked some of (the categories) and I didn’t like others,” he said.

It was much like an all-expenses-paid vacation for Olson and all the contestants.

“Unlike the first time, they paid for my flight and paid for all of the contestants in a hotel in Culver City for the whole week, regardless of results,” Olson said.

In addition to taping, Olson said the contestants did some additional publicity photos and videos that may appear on Jeopardy’s social media.

Olson said that Jeopardy host Ken Jenkins was just as gracious and funny as in his first appearance, “including when they had some behind-the-scenes issues that affected one of the episodes.”

In his first appearance, Olson upended seven-time champion Paolo Pasco of San Diego, who will also be competing in the Tournament of Champions. Olson went on to win three more games before bowing out in his fifth game.