History Main / JockDadNerdSon

* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': Son Goku and Son Gohan. Goku is a martial artist who loves fighting and training who spends all of his days with training whenever possible. Gohan on the other hand, while being a powerful martial artist himself, is more of a scholar, which is his profession. In days of peace, Gohan spends his days studying or doing his job, leading him to become out of shape. Goku has already accepted that Gohan is not a fighter and doesn't expect him to fight alongside him. Depending on the media, Goku might show a little disappointment towards his eldest son.

[[folder: Comic Strips]]

* ''Series/StillStanding'': Brian tends to be a nerd, and his dad doesn't approve.

* Played for drama in ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour''. Gary Richards is a huge sports nut and obsessed with "manly" behavior. His son -- Reed's quiet nature and fascination with science elicits his scorn, to the point that he [[WhyAreYouNotMySon openly regards Ben Grimm as being the son he wanted]] but never had.

* Creator/PattonOswalt talks about being the younger half of a variant of this -- ''Military'' Dad, Nerd Son. And also, its flipside.

* The Isle of Armor DownLoadableContent of ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' has Mustard and Hyde. Mustard was [[TheAce the Galar region Pokemon Champion]] in his prime (for 18 years) and still remains [[OldMaster a formidable Pokemon trainer even in his current age]]. Hyde, his son, is a ChildProdigy who has made inventions that are utilized by those living in the dojo located on the very isle and has yet to show any capacity in Pokemon battles. That being said, there's no known conflict between the two of them.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' has Willie Watt. He's a complete nerd and not the {{Adorkable}} kind. Conversely, his father Frank is a well-built man who is into construction. He makes it clear to Willy that he "ain't raisin' no wuss" and even encourages Willie to use violence against the bullies that torment him. This inspires Willie to steal a high-powered construction Golem and attacks his fellow students with it at a school dance. He even aims to be a SelfMadeOrphan and tries desperately to kill his own father. What was Frank's response when his son got arrested for all this mayhem? "Guess this means he ain't no wuss anymore." Batman's DisapprovingLook makes him regret saying that.

->''"That boy ain't right."''
-->-- '''Hank Hill''', ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''

%%->''"That boy ain't right."''
%%-->-- '''Hank Hill''', ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''
%%

->''"That boy ain't right."''
-->-- '''Hank Hill''', ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''

* ''Series/{{Bones}}'': In the episode "Boy in the TimeCapsule", Alex Stinson, an uber-nerd science kid, was the son of a jock football player (Terry Stinson) and his [[TheCheerleader head cheerleader]] ChildhoodSweetheart Janelle Stinson, and the father was disappointed at him being a nerd. It turns out the nerd was [[spoiler:actually [[GenerationXerox the son]] of the VictimOfTheWeek, Roger Dillon (the titular "boy"), an uber-nerd computer geek who nobody in his class liked and who was the AbhorrentAdmirer of the AlphaBitch - that is, until they had to do a paper together, she fell for him, and they had sex]]. The [[spoiler:"]]father[[spoiler:", [[{{Cuckold}} who had discovered the affair]]]], as well as [[spoiler:another nerd (Gil Bates), who was the victim's best friend with whom he had created a computer program [[{{greed}} that would make him very rich by the time the Jeffersonian was investigating the crime]]]], were [[spoiler:the murderers]].

* ''Disney/ChickenLittle'': Provides the contrast between scrawny and geeky Chicken Little and his father, a former star athlete.

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': A bit of a DownplayedTrope in the relationship between Ross and his father, even though he was generally portrayed as on the positive side of the ParentalFavoritism; "The One With The Male Nanny" revealed that Jack Geller once saw the young Ross playing with his toy dinosaurs and asked why he wasn't outside "like a real boy".
%% ** A rare in-law version appeared, being one of the reasons for the mutual dislike between Ross and Rachel's dad.

%% * An in-law version in ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' between Mordecai and Frank (Margaret's dad).

* Inverted in one 80s ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' story, where a {{Flashback}} showed us that Flash Thompson's dad was a brilliant academic, who was totally unimpressed by his son's prowess on the football field. Flash bullied Peter because he saw him as the sort of son his father wanted. (This story has been contradicted by every other appearance of Flash Thompson's dad.)
* Also inverted in ''Comicbook/{{Runaways}}''. Chase is initially presented as a jock, and his parents are both super-geniuses. His father is [[AbusiveParents less than impressed]] with his son's athletic abilities.
* Comicbook/{{Cyborg}} is another inversion. Even though Victor ''is'' brainy, he resents his scientist parents pushing him into academics and chooses to pursue athletics...until, of course, the accident that nearly killed him, at which point his dad made him [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a cyborg]] to save his life.

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'':
** A rare in-law version appeared, being one of the reasons for the mutual dislike between Ross and Rachel's dad.
** It was also a bit of a DownplayedTrope in the relationship between Ross and his father, even though he was generally portrayed as on the positive side of the ParentalFavoritism; "The One With The Male Nanny" revealed that Jack Geller once saw the young Ross playing with his toy dinosaurs and asked why he wasn't outside "like a real boy".

* ''Series/{{Scorpion}}'':
** Ralph and his father, Drew, a minor-league baseball pitcher.
** One second-season episode involved Sylvester and his father, a retired military officer.

* Ben Hare and his son Harecules, from ''WesternAnimation/BeanyAndCecil''.
* Nickelodeon's ''WesternAnimation/AaahhRealMonsters'' had Slickis, 'this Academy's most esteemed graduate', a world-renowned top athlete and professional scarer. His son Ickis was often mistaken for a cute bunny rabbit on scares, and once even got his foot run over when he tried to frighten two teenagers who wanted to make-out at an isolated location. That said, Slickis supports Ickis despite his shortcomings, even emphasizing his own failures to make his son feel better.

* An in-law version in ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' between Mordecai and Frank (Margaret's dad).
* Coach Reinheardt and his son Gordy in ''WesternAnimation/AngelaAnaconda''. Though the coach has no problem with his son and has complimented his cooking.

* A constant source of contention between Steve and Stan Smith of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad''. Stan constantly tries to help his son with various "masculine" activities to avoid [[spoiler:letting Steve repeat the same poor experience Stan had in high school.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' has Willie Watt. He's a complete nerd and not the {{Adorkable}} kind. Conversely, his father Frank is a well-built man who is into construction. He makes it clear to Willy that "He ain't raisin' no wuss" and even encourages Willie to use violence against the bullies that torment him. This inspires Willie to steal a high-powered construction Golem and attacks his fellow students with it at a school dance. He even aims to be a SelfMadeOrphan and tries desperately to kill his own father. What was Frank's response when his son got arrested for all this mayhem? "Guess this means he ain't no wuss anymore." Batman's DisapprovingLook makes him regret saying that.

Related to a BillyElliotPlot, but is part of the underlying characterization as opposed to a single episode plot. Subtrope to LikeFatherUnlikeSon. Could be considered an intergenerational version of SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan.

* A downplayed version appears in the ''WesternAnimation/MrPeabodyAndSherman'': Both title characters are extremely dorky, but Mr. Peabody is an accomplished athlete, winning two Olympic medals.
* Hiccup from ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' would be this to his father Stoick the Vast. Scrawny little nerd-boy in a society of huge, fierce, dragon-fighting Vikings.

* This is the case between Chicken Little and his father in [[Disney/ChickenLittle the film of the same name]].
* The play and film ''Film/TeaAndSympathy'' play this to the hilt: the former football player dad, who still acts like a high school jock, and his son, the sensitive actor and singer whom everyone suspects of being gay. Dad rather crudely tries to push his son Tom into more "manly" activities, oblivious to the effect on his psyche. Yet [[spoiler:when Tom has a mental breakdown resulting in a suicide attempt]], Dad's nowhere to be found.
* {{Inverted}} In ''Film/HoneyWeShrunkOurselves''. Wayne is a tech nerd whose youngest son, Adam, plays baseball. At the beginning of the movie, Adam asks Wayne to let him go to baseball camp instead of science camp. Wayne ultimately obliges (and is overjoyed to discover how much math there is to it).

* ''Literature/ProjectTau:'' Kalin Taylor has this relationship with his father, to the point where Benjamin Taylor wonders if Kalin is really his son.

* Sheldon on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' often talked about how his father forced him to learn football.
** Explored in detail in the prequel series ''Series/YoungSheldon''.
* In ''Series/GroundedForLife'', Henry wants to sign up for tap dancing, but his dad pushes him to do a more "masculine" sport like soccer.
* Brian from ''Series/StillStanding'' tends to be a nerd, and his dad doesn't approve.
* Played with on ''Series/SchittsCreek''. Johnny brags about being his school baseball team, but it was a Hebrew school team called The Flying Latkes, and it's clear Johnny was a nerd. However, he's a better player than his CampGay son David who only agrees to play in an amateur game to please his boyfriend. [[spoiler: The storyline turns out very sweet as Johnny, who is on the opposite team, loses interest in playing to cheer on his adult son who makes a surprise hit and wins the game.]]
* On ''Series/{{Scorpion}}'' with Ralph and his father, Drew, a minor-league baseball pitcher.
** One second-season episode involved Sylvester and his father, a retired military officer.
* ''Series/That70sShow'' has shades of this, with Red being a War Veteran instead of a former High School Jock. He still has this type of relationship with his son Eric. One episode also made reference to Red having been on the wrestling team when he was in high school.
* Similar to the above, on ''Series/{{Frasier}}'', Martin has this relationship with both his sons in a slightly different context. Martin was a man's man cop for decades and has two opera-loving, psychiatrist sons with whom he has little in common.
* On ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', Al Bundy was the BigManOnCampus in high school. He was a football hero and made it with every hot girl in his class. In contrast, his son Bud is constantly trying (and failing) to score with women and is much more academically oriented. On one occasion, Al says that if the two went to school together, Al probably would not have let Bud hang out with him.

* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' has [=McGee=]'s father. Admiral of the Navy dad and computer nerd son.
* On ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', before coming up with the famous "show about nothing" idea, George pitches a sitcom idea to Jerry that revolves around this trope, although "jock" might be [[RealMenWearPink stretching things a little]].

* In ''Series/{{Bones}}'' episode "Boy in the TimeCapsule", Alex Stinson, an uber-nerd science kid, was the son of a jock football player (Terry Stinson) and his [[TheCheerleader head cheerleader]] ChildhoodSweetheart Janelle Stinson, and the father was disappointed at him being a nerd. It turns out the nerd was [[spoiler:actually [[GenerationXerox the son]] of the VictimOfTheWeek, Roger Dillon (the titular "boy"), an uber-nerd computer geek who nobody in his class liked and who was the AbhorrentAdmirer of the AlphaBitch - that is, until they had to do a paper together, she fell for him, and they had sex]]. The [[spoiler:"]]father[[spoiler:", [[{{Cuckold}} who had discovered the affair]]]], as well as [[spoiler:another nerd (Gil Bates), who was the victim's best friend with whom he had created a computer program [[{{greed}} that would make him very rich by the time the Jeffersonian was investigating the crime]]]], were [[spoiler:the murderers]].

Related to a BillyElliotPlot, but is part of the underlying characterization as opposed to a single episode plot. Subtrope to LikeFatherUnlikeSon.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' has Willie Watt. He's a complete nerd and not the {{Adorkable}} kind. Conversely, his father Frank is a well-built man who is into construction. He makes it clear to Willy that "He ain't raisin' no wuss" and even encourages Willie to use violence against the bullies that torment him. This serves as Willie's StartOfDarkness. He steals a high-powered construction Golem and attacks his fellow students with it at a school dance. He even aims to be a SelfMadeOrphan and tries desperately to kill his own father. What was Frank's response when his son got arrested for all this mayhem? "Guess this means he ain't no wuss anymore." Batman's DisapprovingLook makes him regret saying that.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' shows us Prof. Frink's dad, who, although also an academic, is more of the AdventurerArchaeologist sort.