On Sunday night, the eyes of the professional football world were set on Pittsburgh. What they got in return was a pair of interceptions from former Mountaineer Beanie Bishop off future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.
"[Rodgers] he likes to whenever he sees the middle of the field open, he likes to throw the ball in there. I don't know if it was last week or a couple weeks ago he threw the ball right at buddy's helmet and kind of gave him a back shoulder pass. Just being able to see that stuff on film and just being able to react and knowing it was coming, that's kind of how I played it," Bishop said.
Bishop grabbed not one but two picks off Rodgers. The first came in the middle of the field, while the second Bishop almost returned for a touchdown, taking it to the one yard line.
'He's a hall-of-fame quarterback. Got a lot of respect for the guy, and just to be able to get not one but two off him is crazy," Bishop said.
Bishop's preparation is what helped him get to a point where he was comfortable this week. That preparation also showed him tendencies of what Rodgers likes to do, and Bishop capitalized
"Just going back, looking at the film, looking at how teams attack me, attack us as a defense, and just being able to be where I'm supposed to be. They ran that play, the play I got a pick on, they ran that play when they were in Green Bay. Them acquiring Davante Adams, we had that on our minds, so just being able to be right there and make plays," Bishop said.
It has been a long first couple of months in the NFL for the undrafted rookie from West Virginia. Bishop has had an up-and-down campaign after earning a roster spot this summer and fall.
"It means a lot, but I still got to go out next weekend and prove that I'm a capable player. Teams are going to still attack me because I'm the young guy in the group," Bishop said.
Bishop added the chip he would always carry on his shoulder got him to this point, but he's grateful for the journey he's been on.
"Just being able to have that confidence. Growing up where I grew up in Louisville, not a lot of guys make it here. Just always having that chip on my shoulder, I don't think anything better could have happened to me than going undrafted, honestly," Bishop said.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said it was a great day for Bishop and his team, who ended up winning 37-15.
"Can't say enough about young Beanie Bishop, and that's an awesome evening for him to get his first two interceptions against a gold-jacket guy like Aaron Rodgers," Tomlin said.
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan, @wesleyshoe
