Falcons star RB Bijan Robinson discusses his secret passion apart from football

Other than Will Levis, Bijan Robinson was the biggest surprise of the 2023 NFL Draft, going eighth overall with the Atlanta Falcons when a running back like him was not widely projected to be in the top 10.

But outside of football, he has another passion some may not have heard of before: acting. Speaking on "The Shop," Robinson said that besides excelling in football, he also enjoyed the guidance he received from his acting teachers:

“So I'm like, you know, at Texas, I'll take a lot of acting classes, try to get in, get in the ropes and they were fun to me, like, because I was going to take them to see if I liked it. But the teachers were cool, like they, like, got me comfortable.”

Which Hollywood star was Bijan Robinson close with at Texas?

Robinson has always been open about his desire for acting. In an interview with GQ, he said that he had always wanted to act since middle school and took couple of theater classes, but football eventully got in the way.

During his stay at Texas, Robinson developed a close bond with actor (and Longhorns fan) Matthew McConaughey. The two had actually met when Robinson was a high school junior, but reconnected once he entered college.

One of @Bijan5Robinson's biggest mentors ➡️ @McConaughey

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McConaughey has not just been among Robinson's biggest supporters since, attending his games, he is also said to be heavily involved in the UT program. When asked about it in the same interview with GQ, Robinson said:

"That’s my guy, man. Me and him are close as it gets. [He’s involved], but he’s not like, at practice. I want to be an actor one day, so we developed an even closer relationship. I’ve been to his house and met his family. We talk all the time. He’s definitely a big mentor for me, and still to this day."

What will Bijan Robinson bring to the Atlanta Falcons?

Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are expected to be the Falcons' primary offensive weapons in 2023

Robinson, however, is in no rush to enter acting. For now, he has football to play.

With Tyler Allgeier having firmly established as the Falcons' primary rusher with a 1,000-yard rookie season, Robinson is expected to play the backup role. However, even as RB2, he will still play a major role in an offense that, besides Drake London, has no standout receivers and thus limited passing opportunities for quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder.