1. They are the "field generals" of football. The quarterback (QB) is the most important leader on the football team! Almost every single offensive play starts with the ball being snapped directly from the center to the quarterback's hands.

2. The name comes from where they used to stand. In early American football, players were positioned behind the line based on distance: the halfback stood halfway back, the fullback stood all the way back, and the quarterback stood one-quarter of the way back!

3. They have tiny radios built inside their helmets. Modern NFL quarterbacks wear special helmets fitted with a tiny speaker inside! This lets the head coach talk directly into the quarterback's ear to call plays until the radio automatically shuts off 15 seconds before the play clock runs out.

4. They can change the play by shouting loud code words. When a quarterback lines up and sees how the defense is standing, they can call an audible—shouting out colorful code phrases like "Blue 82!" or "Omaha!"—to change the entire play at the last second!

5. The longest NFL pass ever was 99 yards. A quarterback can tie the absolute maximum record for the longest touchdown pass in NFL history—99 yards! Because the field is 100 yards long, this happens when a QB throws from their own 1-yard line and their receiver runs all the way to the opposite end zone.

6. The ultimate prize for a young QB is the Heisman Trophy. The top college football quarterback in the United States is often awarded the famous Heisman Trophy, a heavy bronze statue depicting a player stiff-arming a defender while holding a football!

7. Left-handed quarterbacks are super rare. Out of hundreds of professional quarterbacks in NFL history, only a small handful have been left-handed! Left-handed passes spin in the opposite direction, which means receivers have to practice catching a different kind of spin.