I had the same reaction to this comment as you. He says to "beware the educated idiot", then goes on to describe someone who is the opposite of that. I think we were both expecting an example of an "educated idiot". Maybe he should have said, "Keep an eye out for the uneducated genius?"

He is the opposite. The story is an anecdote of someone who is not well-educated, but is incredibly skilled (as opposed to someone who is very well-educated but not as skilled).