Kent State alum and former student athlete John Whorton finished his time at Kent State as a MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, leading the men’s basketball team to its first NCAA Tournament berth in 1999.

Earlier this month, he finished his time on a new NBC game show, “The Wall,” as an MVP as well.

Created and produced by Akron-native and world famous basketball star LeBron James, “The Wall” allows contestants a chance to win large cash prizes by answering trivia-style questions.

For each correct question, a green ball falls down the wall, landing in a slot that represents the monetary value of the correct answer. For each question answered incorrectly, a red ball falls — detracting from the team’s total. When Whorton played on the show, question topics ranged from pop culture to sports. He secured more than $45,000 in prizes after his first question answered.

Whorton appeared on the show’s premiere with his wife, Angel, on Monday. According information they shared on the show, the two were college sweethearts and still reside in Akron, Ohio.

The couple was selected for the show due to Angel’s contributions as a special education teacher in Akron Public Schools. After completing 10 attempts at the grand total cash prize, they walked away with $1.3 million.

While at Kent State, Whorton played center on the men’s basketball team. The season prior to being named a MAC Tournament MVP, he struggled with a shoulder injury that lead to surgery before the 1999 season. He was also selected for the All-MAC Second Team while playing for the Flashes.

Erin Zaranec is a features correspondent, contact her at [email protected].