David Eckert, Austin American-Statesman
 |  Hearst – Austin Transition

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Texas ex Rod Babers joins Statesman columnist on the On Second Thought to discuss Arch Manning taking over in 2025 and the Longhorns in the NFL draft.

THIBODAUX, La. —  All Texas football quarterback Arch Manning needs to do when he’s looking for advice on handling fame is shake the right branch on his family tree. 

His uncles, Eli and Peyton, share four Super Bowl championships between them. In retirement they now quarterback a media empire headlined by the ManningCast, a popular simulcast option that airs alongside ESPN’s traditional “Monday Night Football” offering. His grandfather, Archie, is one of the most beloved figures in the history of the New Orleans Saints. 

Put succinctly: Arch’s family members have been coping with fame since before he was born. 

But none of them know what it means to be famous while living in Austin. 

For that, Arch has solicited some advice from outside the family. 

“I had to get used to it a little bit. I’ve actually talked to Matthew McConaughey about that,” Manning said on Friday, holding court with media members at the Manning Passing Academy. “He’s given me some advice. He’s been great to have in my corner. I’ve dealt with it.” 

McConaughey’s acting résumé includes an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. Featured in titles like “Dazed and Confused,” “Angels in the Outfield,” “Interstellar” and “Magic Mike,” his face is recognizable to just about anyone who’s taken even a passing interest in movies over the past three decades. 

It would be understandable if McConaughey chose to hide it away. 

But that’s not the strategy he advised Arch to implement. 

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“He kind of told me, ‘Just live your life,'” Manning recalled. “He says he goes to the grocery store, walks down every aisle. He lives his life, and you can’t let taking a picture or signing an autograph affect your life.

“He just told me different ways on how to handle different things, different situations. He’s been around. He’s way more known than I am. So it’s good. Anytime you can get advice from a guy like that, you take it.” 

In the same way that McConaughey won’t let a few stares and camera flashes from strangers stop him from riding his bike around the city, Manning finds opportunities to inject some normalcy into his life. 

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He went viral earlier this offseason, taking pictures with fans around the neighborhood after taking a trip to St. Louis with teammate and receiver Ryan Wingo for one of his instructional camps. Manning said Wingo received more attention in his hometown, but Wingo wasn’t the face driving the social media storm those photos brewed up. 

“He asked me to go to the camp a few months back, and I knew he would do the same for me,” Manning said. 

At the Manning Passing Academy  —  a three-day camp for high school quarterbacks instructed by college QBs on the campus of Nicholls State University  —  Manning made a trip out with his friend and roommate for the weekend: LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. 

Every good dorm room needs snacks, after all, so Nussmeier and Manning decided to hit the local WalMart. 

That’s right. The starting quarterbacks at LSU and Texas spent their Thursday evening moseying around a department store in Thibodaux, La., right in the heartland of the college-football-obsessed south. 

Think they got recognized a couple of times?

“We took a few pictures,” Manning said with a laugh. “It was good.” 

Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at david.eckert@statesman.com.Â