'Celebrity Jeopardy!' host Ken Jennings compares Nassau Community College to Harvard

Comic Chris Distefano knows you don't have to be a Harvard University graduate to be a contestant on "Celebrity Jeopardy!" The education he got at Nassau Community College seemed to work out just fine for him, and he even referred to the school as "the Harvard of community colleges" during his appearance on Wednesday's episode of the popular game show.

When host Ken Jennings asked him how he started watching "Jeopardy!," Distefano, 40, recalled seeing the show for the first time when he was 8 at his dad and stepmom's home on Staten Island. "They asked something about the patron saint of animals" on the program, he told Jennings. "I said St. Francis of Assisi, and my dad literally ran into the kitchen, picked up the phone and said to my mother 'This kid's a genius, he's going to Harvard.' And then I went to Nassau Community College."

"So you went to the Harvard of Nassau," Jennings joked.

"That's right, the Harvard of community colleges. That's where I went," replied Distefano, who was playing for the charity 34.3 Foundation which aids firefighters and their families.

"As a proud Nassau Community College alumna myself, I can say that Mr. Distefano’s comment is spot-on," said Maria Conzatti, the school's chief administrative officer, in a statement to Newsday. "It is a thrill to see our college recognized on the national stage like this, and I strongly believe it is well-deserved."

The comedian, who got his start as a regular on the MTV reality show "Guy Code" in 2012, also attended St. Joseph's College in Brooklyn and New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, where he earned a doctorate in physical therapy.

Distefano showed his smarts against his opponents — actors Natalie Morales and Corbin Bleu — and led throughout much of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" He headed into the final round with $14,100 versus Morales with $12,000 and Bleu with $11,600. Ultimately, he came in second when Morales doubled her score after coming up with the only correct response in final Jeopardy ("What is a Post-it Note?") in the category "Million-Dollar Ideas." She'll advance to the semifinals.

Distefano came in second with $8,910. Producers bumped his and Bleu's totals to $30,000 for each of their charities.

Incidentally, Distefano will be returning to Long Island for a night of stand-up comedy at Staller Center for the Arts in Stony Brook on March 8. For tickets, go to stallercenter.com.