History Main / TheQuarterback

He will always go around wearing his [[CasualSportsJersey jersey/letterman/varsity jacket]], most likely carrying a football, and surrounded by other members of his team. In this department he is a talented, authoritative, motivational, and charismatic leader. He's probably on a first-name basis with the entire PE department staff and has a bit of influence on them.

So, his potential to be a JerkJock is pretty high, right? The occasional work will do this, but more often than not he's actually a NiceGuy. There's a good chance he'll start out as an unfavorable guy before CharacterDevelopment kicks in and he becomes a friend, or at least an ally, but in quite a significant number of works he will start as TheHeart of the team.

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/{{Robin|1993}}'': The arrogant Karl Ranck is the quarterback at Tim's high school during Tim's freshman year. He is abrasive and self centered, though not actually a bully, and ends up getting murdered before the school year is up.
* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'''s clone father and Mega City One's first Chief Judge, Eustace Fargo, was the quarterback for Jaxville High School. He was good enough to be considered for the NFL, but he chose to go to law school instead.
[[/folder]]

* ''Film/TheFaculty'': Stan is the star player and fond friend to the school, having some troubles with his cheerleader girlfriend [[spoiler:when he chooses to quit the team in order to get better grades. Coach supports him in this choice, even if it is right before the big match.]]

* ''Film/QuarterbackPrincess'': The made-for-TV movie from 1983 has teenager Tami Maida and her family move to Oregon, and Tami try out for the school football team. Despite initial resistance, she gets a chance to play, and enjoys much better pass protection than the primary male quarterback. Her team even chips in to buy Tami a very nice prom dress.
* ''Film/ACinderellaStory'' has Austin Ames, whom the protagonist was in her anonymous e-mail relationship with. Ames was the star quarterback dating the head cheerleader and resident AlphaBitch, and was on the verge of being offered a full ride by the University of Southern California [[spoiler: until the end, where he leaves the big game early, choosing to go to Princeton with Sam instead.]]
* ''Film/DazedAndConfused'' has Randy 'Pink' Floyd who, however, is a pretty nice guy and friendly to all factions in his high school, including the nerdy intellectuals.
* ''Film/{{Wolves}}'': At the start of the film, Cayden is the high school quarterback "in a town where football is the one true religion." Life is good for him before the werewolf stuff starts. It's not clear if he's a JerkJock (he seems this way, but that could be the aforementioned werewolf stuff).

* In Creator/FScottFitzgerald's short story ''The Bowl'', Dolly Harlan plays this role quite straight, nearly to the point of HeroicSacrifice. (Technically he's a [[UsefulNotes/CollegiateAmericanFootball Princeton's]] ''halfback'', though.)

* ''Literature/BoyMeetsBoy'' has a gender-inverted version with Infinite Darlene, the trans girl who is quarterback both before and after her transition.

** Jason Street -- Talented and beloved player with a promising career [[spoiler:before he becomes paralysed]], dating possibly the only nice cheerleader in school, who is also his coach's daughter, and still rallies school spirit whilst becoming humble.

** {{Discussed}} in [[Recap/GleeS6E05TheHurtLockerPartTwo season 6]] when Spencer wants to be starting QB, and Sam wants him to show he can make a stand before he'll give him the position, so gives him a RousingSpeech:

* ''Series/{{Queer as Folk|US}}'': (US version) Drew Boyd, who was kicked off the team after kissing his boyfriend, but was reinstated when the team realised how valuable he was to them.
* ''Series/Rise2018'': Robbie. In the pilot he gets blackmailed to audition for drama club and then has to make a choice between football and the musical. After talking to his mom and doing some soul-searching, he picks drama.
* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': As Clark was the quarterback, the occasional episode has him dealing with the team. He is proficient enough to get a college scholarship offer, as well as translating some of Superman's bravado to leading in high school.

* ''Series/TwinPeaks'': Zig-zagged. Bobby Briggs is the handsome quarterback of the highschool football team, the BigManOnCampus who's dating the popular blonde head cheerleader, and the son of an honorable, All-American military man. Twin Peaks being the TownWithADarkSecret that it is, this is subverted early on, as Bobby is quickly revealed to be cheating on his girlfriend, involved in some shady criminal conspiracies, and is even suspected in his girlfriend's murder. Much of Bobby's character arc, particularly in ''Film/TwinPeaksFireWalkWithMe'', is about him being torn between being the leather-clad [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys bad boy all the girls seem to want]] and his much more innocent quarterback heart.

* Music/TaylorSwift uses this character as the set-up love interest in some songs, including [[Creator/LucasTill the boy]] in the "Music/YouBelongWithMe" music video. He's her cute neighbor and down-to-earth quarterback, and is also secretly in love with her even though dating the AlphaBitch.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', [[TheDitz Kevin Thompson]] lives this trope with such seriousness that being the quarterback forms a huge part of his identity. It's mostly parodied and played for laughs - he's definitely [[DumbJock ''not'' very bright]] and sometimes [[InnocentlyInsensitive insensitive]] but still quite firmly in the LovableJock category.

* ''WesternAnimation/PunkyBrewster'': "The Quartersize Quarterback" ([=S1E1B=]) in question is Allen whom Glomer gives the abilities of a pro quarterback. He wins a spot with the Chicago Bears, but Glomer reveals the magic on Allen has a time limit. The magic expires, and Allen panics he'll be massacred on the field--until the coach tells him he doesn't qualify till after his graduating class.
* One arc in ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'' has Bullwinkle being recruited to play quarterback for [[PunnyName Wossamotta U]] after scouts observe his flawless alley-oop technique.

* ''WesternAnimation/PunkyBrewster'': "The Quartersize Quarterback" ([=S1E1B=]) in question is Allen whom Glomer gives the abilities of a pro quarterback. He wins a spot with the Chicago Bears, but Glomer reveals the magic on Allen has a time limit. The magic expires, and Allen panics he'll be massacred on the fiels--until the coach tells him he doesn't qualify till after his graduating class.

* ''WesternAnimation/PunkyBrewster'': "The Quartersize Quarterback" ([=S1E1B=]) in question in Allen whom Glomer gives the abilities of a pro quarterback. He wins a spot with the Chicago Bears, but Glomer reveals the magic on Allen has a time limit. The magic expires, and Allen panics he'll be massacred on the fiels--until the coach tells him he doesn't qualify till after his graduating class.

* ''WesternAnimation/PunkyBrewster'': "The Quartersize Quarterback" (S1E1B) in question in Allen whom Glomer gives the abilities of a pro quarterback. He wins a spot with the Chicago Bears, but Glomer reveals the magic on Allen has a time limit. The magic expires, and Allen panics he'll be massacred on the fiels--until the coach tells him he doesn't qualify till after his graduating class.

If he starts as part of the protagonist gang he will likely be TheLancer, or possibly TheBigGuy if TheHero already found one that's not a jock., if he begins as antagonistic then he will likely [[TheAtoner try to redeem himself]] for his past sins with a big, dramatic, day-saving gesture.

* ''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'': The arrogant Karl Ranck is the quarterback at Tim's high school during Tim's freshman year. He is abrasive and self centered, though not actually a bully, and ends up getting murdered before the school year is up.

* ''Series/Series/{{Queer as Folk|US}}'': (US version) Drew Boyd, who was kicked off the team after kissing his boyfriend, but was reinstated when the team realised how valuable he was to them.

* ''Series/QueerAsFolk'': (US version) Drew Boyd, who was kicked off the team after kissing his boyfriend, but was reinstated when the team realised how valuable he was to them.

* ''Franchise/HarryPotter'': Non-football version with Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain and Seeker in the third book. He's handsome, kind, courageous enough to volunteer for the Triwizard Tournament (and skilled enough to become the Hogwarts champion), a good enough sportsman that he tries to get a rematch after dementors invade the field and knock Harry out, and eventually, a SacrificialLion. By contrast, the other Captains we see are either Slytherins (who embody UnnecessaryRoughness and cheat as if their lives depended on it) and Gryffindors Wood, (for whom Quidditch is SeriousBusiness to the point that he doesn't mind that Harry's broomstick might be cursed if it gets them the Cup), and Harry himself. Turned on its head in ''The Cursed Child'', where [[spoiler:Albus and Scorpius' efforts to save Cedric's life result in his humiliating defeat, culminating in his becoming a Death Eater and murdering Neville, leading to the BadFuture]].

If he starts as part of the protagonist gang he will likely be TheLancer, if he begins as antagonistic then he will likely [[TheAtoner try to redeem himself]] for his past sins with a big, dramatic, day-saving gesture.