‘I’m talking to Vanna White!’ Shawnee Mission teacher takes a ‘Wheel of Fortune’ spin

Shawnee Mission North English teacher Bradley Rose scored a literal once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when he competed on a “Wheel of Fortune” episode that aired Wednesday night.

And out of that entire experience of being on that famous set in California with the giant colorful wheel, perhaps the only regret he has is the moment when he laid eyes upon the world’s most famous letter-turner and blurted: “Oh my God I’m talking to Vanna White!”

“Yes, yes you are,” she politely replied to this Kansas-born word nerd whose passion for the English language became a calling.

His episode was filmed in January — on Friday the 13th, no less. Rose describes his “Wheel of Fortune” adventure as something like an out-of-body experience. He has loved the game since he was a boy growing up in Wichita, playing “Wheel of Fortune” video games on his Nintendo and solving the cryptogram word puzzles in The Wichita Eagle.

As other contestants before him have said, Rose wasn’t seeking money and prizes as much as the experience. The show, in its 40th year, films on the Sony Pictures Television studios in Culver City, California. Host Pat Sajak and White have been with the show since it premiered in September 1983.

Rose couldn’t stop thinking he was in the presence of cultural icons, the same two people on all those video game covers.

If we bought three vowels, surreal is the word for it.

“It’s one of those things you see people do … but you never necessarily imagine yourself there,” he said.

But he took the leap and applied to be a contestant in November. First he submitted an application, as anyone can, on the Wheel of Fortune website, wheeloffortune.com. Then he found himself moving on “to the next stage and the next stage and you’re like ‘Oh my gosh, this might happen.’

“I think we plan these adventures in our head and some come to fruition and some don’t.”

This one did in a big way.

By any game-show contestant standard, Rose was made for “Wheel of Fortune.”

He’s an English teacher who clearly knows words, and solving all those word puzzles in the daily newspaper sharpened his skills.

He was comfortable on stage. Before he and his wife of 10 years, Victoria, became parents to three little girls, he performed in community theater — The Barn Players, Theatre in the Park.

And energy? He’s got a lot of that. He’s a public address announcer for baseball and women’s soccer at the University of Kansas. (And how this Kansas State grad got the gig is another story.)

Contestants must go through sort of a training camp to learn the game, the rules, how to spin the wheel. Some of it took place on the “Jeopardy!” set next door.

White, with no makeup and in casual clothes instead of her usual glam gowns, appeared to wish them luck.

“Buy your vowels,” she advised the contestants.

And Rose did.

He was set to watch his episode at a Shawnee bar and grill with a big group of family and friends, fellow teachers and former students.

He has no idea how students he hasn’t seen in years heard about this.

But somehow, word traveled fast that Mr. Rose was on “Wheel of Fortune.”

But before the show they had no clue: Did he win?

He did. He won $9,600 in cash and a trip to the Bahamas worth about $7,000 before making it to the bonus round where he won the grand prize, a 2023 Chevy Traverse 1LT.

The car and prizes were worth $58,569, the show’s producers said.

He chose the category “phrase” for the bonus round. Sajak had told him that the round is “kind of a crapshoot, you just have to get lucky with the letters you call.”

But Rose didn’t have to guess. He saw the answer immediately. So he took the chance to name-check his wife and daughters.

And then he solved the puzzle: “Happy to hear that.”

Game rules say he has to wait to get the car and cash.

“It’s a nice car,” he said.