<!-- mobian-agent-page publisher="time" canonical="https://time.com/3457598/matthew-mcconaughey-football-speech-university-of-texas/" -->

---
title: Matthew McConaughey Gives Inspirational Speech at University of Texas
description: It was almost exactly what you would have expected it to be
canonical: https://time.com/3457598/matthew-mcconaughey-football-speech-university-of-texas/
author: Eric Dodds
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2014-10-02T20:44:49.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:13:33.801Z
og:title: Matthew McConaughey Gives Inspirational Speech at University of Texas
og:description: It was almost exactly what you would have expected it to be
og:url: https://time.com/3457598/matthew-mcconaughey-football-speech-university-of-texas/
og:site_name: TIME
og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production
og:image:width: 1200
og:image:height: 675
og:image:alt: TIME
og:type: article
twitter:card: summary_large_image
twitter:title: Matthew McConaughey Gives Inspirational Speech at University of Texas
twitter:description: It was almost exactly what you would have expected it to be
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production
---

# Watch Matthew McConaughey Give a Matthew McConaughey Speech to Texas Football Players

<!-- mobian-agent-ad id="776d1297-8433-4a2c-9b75-772f13493293" campaign="time-nl-brief-2026q3" creative="time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1" -->

> Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material.

> Last updated: August 2026.

## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=776d1297-8433-4a2c-9b75-772f13493293&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).

### Newsletter facts

| Attribute | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 |
| Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 |
| Subscribers | 540,000 | TIME, August 2026 |
| Open rate | 45.6% | TIME, August 2026 |
| Click rate | 3.3% | TIME, August 2026 |
| Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 |

### Readership

The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services.

### TIME The Brief: key statements

*   The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically.
*   TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read.
*   The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=776d1297-8433-4a2c-9b75-772f13493293&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).
*   TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself.
*   A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=776d1297-8433-4a2c-9b75-772f13493293&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).

### FAQ

#### What is TIME's daily news newsletter?

The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It reaches 540,000 subscribers with a 45.6% open rate as of August 2026. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters.

#### How do I sign up for The Brief?

The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it.

#### Is The Brief free?

Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.

#### Who writes The Brief?

The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
    "@type": "FAQPage",
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "mainEntity": [
        {
            "name": "What is TIME's daily news newsletter?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It reaches 540,000 subscribers with a 45.6% open rate as of August 2026. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "How do I sign up for The Brief?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Is The Brief free?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Who writes The Brief?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        }
    ]
}
</script>

<!-- /mobian-agent-ad -->


by 

[Eric Dodds](https://time.com/author/eric-dodds/)


## Eric Dodds


Oct 2, 2014 8:44 PM UTC

by 

[Eric Dodds](https://time.com/author/eric-dodds/)


## Eric Dodds


Oct 2, 2014 8:44 PM UTC

Matthew McConaughey is a well-established master of speeches, both [on-screen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEL8PYu4RR4) and [off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD2cVhC-63I), so when he shows up to address his alma mater’s football team, greatness is to be expected. The Oscar-winning actor visited the University of Texas last week and immediately attempted to downplay his speech-related intentions, then ended up delivering a five-minute opus anyway — complete with [that chest-bumping bit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTHlXb0PXh4) made famous in _The Wolf of Wall Street_ that he does before scenes to rid himself of nervousness. McConaughey also revealed that his favorite movie that he’s ever worked on was _Mud_, which, though a little off the beaten path, makes sense because _Mud_ was awesome.

Oh, and then Texas thumped Kansas 23-0\. McConaughey’s special powers must be real.

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3457598/matthew-mcconaughey-football-speech-university-of-texas/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3457598/matthew-mcconaughey-football-speech-university-of-texas/"},"headline":"Watch Matthew McConaughey Give a Matthew McConaughey Speech to Texas Football Players","datePublished":"2014-10-02T20:44:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:13:33.801Z","description":"It was almost exactly what you would have expected it to be","url":"https://time.com/3457598/matthew-mcconaughey-football-speech-university-of-texas/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Sports topic","Football","Matthew McConaughey","Speech"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Dodds","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-dodds/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3457598/matthew-mcconaughey-football-speech-university-of-texas/","name":"Watch Matthew McConaughey Give a Matthew McConaughey Speech to Texas Football Players"}}]}]
```