What is the 'Not My Name, Quarterback' meme from 'Sidelined' movie? Meaning decoded

A new meme has swept across TikTok, and if you’ve been online recently, you’ve probably come across the viral "Not my name, Quarterback" trend.

The now-famous scene from the movie Sidelined: The QB and Me—a Tubi original—has taken the internet by storm, leaving millions of users amused by its melodramatic dialogue and earnest delivery.

The movie follows the classic high school romance trope, where a cheerleader and a quarterback, played by Noah Beck and Siena Agudong, navigate the tumultuous waters of teenage love. But it’s one particular exchange between the characters that has exploded into meme territory.

In this meme-worthy moment, Beck’s character Drayton Lahey throws a football to Agudong’s Dallas Bryan, exclaiming, “Nice catch, Cheer!” to which she sasses back, “Not my name, Quarterback,” with the kind of sass that has Gen Z shaking their heads in collective secondhand embarrassment—but loving every second of it.

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TikTok can't get enough of the 'Not My Name, Quarterback' scene

The hilariously over-the-top scene from Sidelined: The QB and Me has become meme gold, especially with TikTok creators who seem to thrive on this exact brand of cheesy dialogue.

What started as a simple movie moment quickly turned into viral content after the scene was posted on TikTok. It wasn’t long before influencers and everyday users jumped on the trend, recreating the exchange with a mix of earnest reenactments and increasingly absurd parodies.

The appeal? The scene’s unintentionally comedic dialogue, complete with high school romance vibes, struck a chord with users who love mocking but also celebrating “cringe” content.

From TikTok to Instagram, people are imitating the “Not my name, Quarterback” moment, throwing footballs in dramatic slow-motion, sometimes even with inflatable objects or exaggerated movements. Think melodrama, but dialed up to a hundred.

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The origin of 'Not My Name, Quarterback'

Released in November 2024, Sidelined: The QB and Me is a teen romance based on a novel by Tay Marley. The film tells the story of Drayton and Dallas, a quarterback and a dancer, trying to deny their feelings as they near graduation.

But the part that captured everyone's attention was that one football toss followed by the now-iconic dialogue. The “Not my name, Quarterback” moment quickly gained momentum after Tubi shared the clip, and soon after, TikTok influencers recreated it for laughs.

One of the first notable recreations came from a YouTuber who filmed the scene on an NFL field. The meme’s appeal lies in how over-the-top the acting and dialogue seem in comparison to the scene's intended seriousness.

Fans began making memes of their own by exaggerating the delivery, throwing objects like balloons, or even launching items with far more force than needed, all in the name of comedic flair.

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Why is it trending now?

While the scene first appeared online in late 2024, the meme truly hit its stride in February 2025. Some creators added wholesome twists, involving family members in their renditions, while others went the chaotic route—adding extreme props, voiceovers, and laughably intense sound effects.

By mid-February, the trend had gained millions of views across various platforms, and people were using the meme not just to reenact the scene but to comment on anything awkward or humorous in daily life.

One TikToker hilariously recreated the scene with “99.9% accuracy,” which racked up over 17 million views. Another user added a sweet spin by involving his daughter, blending humor with wholesome family content.