Bijan Robinson talks his relationship with Matthew McConaughey, expresses interest in acting

Bijan Robinson is working toward an NFL career at the moment, but he has his sights set on acting in the future. The former Texas running back participated in the NFL Combine on Sunday, and afterward revealed his interest in breaking into Hollywood once he is done with football.

Robinson explained that he grew close to actor Matthew McConaughey, a Texas alumnus who is still a strong supporter of Longhorns football, in college.

“That’s my guy right there,” Robinson said of McConaughey in a post-combine interview. “I appreciate him so much because I want to be in some type of films one day after football. Just having him as a friend and a mentor, it’s really cool.”

Robinson went on to say he has come to see McConaughey as a mentor. He couldn’t have picked a better one when it comes to acting, as McConaughey received an Oscar for Best Actor in 2014.

“He always gives me advice,” Robinson said. “I go over to his house and just chill with him. He’ll always throw in these little snippets in life and acting. So it’s really cool to have somebody like that.”

McConaughey isn’t the only person with acting experience that Bijan Robinson has to seek advice from, however. The running back has also grown close with NBA star LeBron James, who has appeared in a handful of movies in recent years including a remake of Space Jam. James was also a producer on the Netflix film Hustle.

Robinson is signed to Klutch Sports Group, the same sports agency as James. With that in mind, he’ll likely receive plenty more advice from the Lakers star in the future on both sports and entertainment.

“That’s the greatest player of all-time,” Robinson said. “Greatest basketball player of all-time. …So this was after one of his games. He was just giving me great advice. It was really cool when we met each other. He was like, ‘Hey Bijan, I respect your game. I’ve been watching you for a couple years now. Just keep being you and keep being the athlete that you are.’ So when I heard that from him, I was amazed.”

Robinson is a projected first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which is set to begin April 27. With more than 3,000 career rushing yards and 41 total touchdown in his college career, he’ll hope to enjoy the same success in the pros.

But once he finally decides to hang his cleats up years down the road, don’t be surprised if you eventually see him on the big screen.