Who Is 'Noah Knigga'? The Viral Football Player, His Sudden Internet Fame And Memes Explained

This year seemingly started out like any other year for high school athlete Noah Knigga. First, he celebrated the new year, then he started looking forward to visiting colleges in hopes of being scouted to play college football when he graduates — but things quickly changed for the young athlete after his public announcement of visiting West Virginia went viral.

By now, you've likely seen this guy's name going around the internet in some form, whether it be media coverage, discussions about whether his name is real or how it's pronounced, or maybe you just saw it in memes.

So, who is Noah Knigga and why did he become such a viral sensation online over the last week? Let's explain.

Who Is Noah Knigga?

Noah Knigga is a high school athlete from Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He has earned several awards for his skills as a linebacker in football and was given many high placements in stat sheets and college prospect rankings, being considered one of the top high school linebackers in Indiana.

Because of that, there's a real possibility that he may become a college player on a serious team, meaning this initial fame could just be the beginning.

Why Did He Go Viral And Become The Subject Of So Many Memes?

To state the obvious, Noah Knigga went viral due to his name and what it could mean for the future, specifically if he manages to get into college football or even the NFL where he'd be much more prominent.

Earlier last week, the word "naysayer" became a noteworthy meme after it was accidentally substituted as the N-word, but with Noah, his last name notably contains it. Because of this, a lot of the jokes and memes stem from wordplay and puns or imagining how announcers are going to handle saying his name.

How Do You Say His Name?

According to both Noah Knigga and his father, he can trace his name back to Poland, which has the usual naming convention of having every letter in the word pronounced.

This would mean that in order to say his name, one would first say the "K," then it's essentially followed by the N-word with a soft "A" at the end (hence the jokes and virality surrounding him).

As seen in the clip shared on social media featuring an interview with Noah's dad, Ryan Knigga, you can hear their family name pronounced.

To learn more about Noah Knigga, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.