Hard Work and Perseverance Key to Bishop Jr.’s Success This Season
December 19, 2023 02:13 PM | Football, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Beanie Bishop Jr. becoming West Virginia's 13th consensus football All-American is a lesson in what hard work and perseverance can do for oneself.
After accomplishing all that he could in four years at Western Kentucky, Bishop set out to find a place where he could perform on a bigger stage. One of those places was West Virginia University, but he ultimately chose Minnesota.
Bishop had a role at Minnesota last season, but it wasn't completely what he wanted so he put himself back on the market looking to fulfill his lifelong dreams and West Virginia once again came calling.
This time he answered.
The Mountaineers needed someone driven and focused who could lead a young position group and stabilize an area that really struggled in 2022, and Bishop needed a place that would allow him to showcase his talents on the biggest stage.
It wasn't about NIL or branding or all those other things that we hear and read about so often these days. It was about opportunity meeting opportunity with one guy wanting to realize his dreams at a place that sorely needed his services.
There are some valuable lessons to be learned here.
It's not always about the money and there ARE still plenty of hungry guys out there wanting to go someplace to get better. Those are the type of players West Virginia is seeking in the transfer portal and what Bishop accomplished this season is a living testimonial to the immediate success that can happen when everything is aligned.
Not only is Bishop the first transfer portal player in school history to earn consensus All-America honors, but he is also the only one to do so without years of buildup and momentum.
The only other WVU cornerback to be named consensus All-America, Aaron Beasley, earned his award in 1995, a year AFTER he led the country in interceptions. His senior season was still outstanding, but not quite as productive, partly because teams didn't throw as much to his side of the field.
The other 11 consensus All-American players also needed years of buildup to earn their status, which speaks to the type of season Bishop had in 2023.
"It's a big accomplishment," he admitted Sunday. "There are 130-something teams, and each team has around 100 players. I don't know how big the All-American rosters are, but it's the elite of the elite and it's a big accomplishment not only for me, but the school and other guys seeing that you are able to do it.
"You don't have to do it by being on social media and doing all those things. You can just put your head down and work," he added.
West Virginia's long-time strength and conditioning coach Mike Joseph loves hard workers, and oftentimes it takes years of hard work to earn his respect, but Bishop managed to do that in a matter of just six months.
Bishop's signing wasn't announced until May 22, which means he wasn't really a West Virginia football player until about June. His picture wasn't even in this year's media guide.
Now it will be in there forever.
"Everybody's path is different," Bishop explained. "I started at a small school and was under-recruited – a small kid and a lot of coaches really didn't believe in me coming out of high school. I just played with a chip on my shoulder and was blessed by God.
"Everyone here believed in me, or I wouldn't be here," he continued. "Coach ShaDon (Brown) coached me real hard and didn't let me get complacent. I have dreams and aspirations of playing in the NFL and this is only some of it."
"He's about the right things," ShaDon Brown pointed out. "He came here as a sixth-year player and had been to a stop previously that didn't go as planned. We had recruited him the year before and really wanted him, and we finally got him here. When he came, he had a blue-collar mentality the entire time, and I told you guys this fall he had that alpha mentality from the day he stepped on campus. He just worked and overachieved because of his work ethic.
"He didn't worry about some of the other things that transfers worry about, and he's now played himself into having an opportunity to play in the National Football League," Brown said.
Bishop admitted that he came to West Virginia on a mission.
"Some guys leave school to get (NIL) money and do all those different things, and I just set a goal that I wanted to go to the NFL," he explained. "I wanted to go somewhere where I will have the opportunity to play, make plays and this was the best spot for me, and I'm glad I chose West Virginia. It helped me a lot."
What Bishop managed to accomplish this year also helped West Virginia considerably and will continue to help the Mountaineers in the future. WVU is now out there hunting for the next Beanie Bishop and is telling players that it can happen here in Morgantown.
"I think it's a good story and it's going to help us in the portal, not only this year but moving forward," West Virginia coach Neal Brown admitted.
What Bishop has done this year reaffirms to the rest of us that there are still plenty of hungry football players out there seeking places to get better – not just to become wealthier.
You hear so much about how college football has changed - some now even refer to it as College Football 2.0 - but there are still ways for programs like West Virginia to thrive. It's just a matter of rolling up your sleeves and working harder to find those Beanie Bishops out there hiding under rocks.
"They are fewer and far between," ShaDon Brown admitted. "You've got to do a really good job of vetting the young man and you usually know with young people pretty quick what they are about. You ask them what's important to him, and if the first thing out of their mouth is NIL and things of that nature, then you probably know really quick that they're not about what a great football player is being about.
"It's cliché, but every great player I've ever coached has been a worker," he continued. "They've done the extra things to make them become the best player they can be."
Last year at this time, Beanie Bishop was pondering his next move in life. He's doing the same thing right now, but his circumstances have changed significantly.
For starters, he was recently invited to play in the East-West Shrine Game, which means he is on the pro people's radar screens.
"He came here, and he just worked," Neal Brown said. "It's not just his on-field performance that helped, but his work ethic and how he's practiced and prepared has really helped our defensive backfield; he's really made a difference back there and we're significantly better because of him."
"Consensus All-Americans don't come around as often as we think they do," ShaDon Brown concluded.
No, coach, they don't.
After accomplishing all that he could in four years at Western Kentucky, Bishop set out to find a place where he could perform on a bigger stage. One of those places was West Virginia University, but he ultimately chose Minnesota.
Bishop had a role at Minnesota last season, but it wasn't completely what he wanted so he put himself back on the market looking to fulfill his lifelong dreams and West Virginia once again came calling.
This time he answered.
The Mountaineers needed someone driven and focused who could lead a young position group and stabilize an area that really struggled in 2022, and Bishop needed a place that would allow him to showcase his talents on the biggest stage.
It wasn't about NIL or branding or all those other things that we hear and read about so often these days. It was about opportunity meeting opportunity with one guy wanting to realize his dreams at a place that sorely needed his services.
There are some valuable lessons to be learned here.
It's not always about the money and there ARE still plenty of hungry guys out there wanting to go someplace to get better. Those are the type of players West Virginia is seeking in the transfer portal and what Bishop accomplished this season is a living testimonial to the immediate success that can happen when everything is aligned.
Not only is Bishop the first transfer portal player in school history to earn consensus All-America honors, but he is also the only one to do so without years of buildup and momentum.
The only other WVU cornerback to be named consensus All-America, Aaron Beasley, earned his award in 1995, a year AFTER he led the country in interceptions. His senior season was still outstanding, but not quite as productive, partly because teams didn't throw as much to his side of the field.
The other 11 consensus All-American players also needed years of buildup to earn their status, which speaks to the type of season Bishop had in 2023.
"It's a big accomplishment," he admitted Sunday. "There are 130-something teams, and each team has around 100 players. I don't know how big the All-American rosters are, but it's the elite of the elite and it's a big accomplishment not only for me, but the school and other guys seeing that you are able to do it.
"You don't have to do it by being on social media and doing all those things. You can just put your head down and work," he added.
West Virginia's long-time strength and conditioning coach Mike Joseph loves hard workers, and oftentimes it takes years of hard work to earn his respect, but Bishop managed to do that in a matter of just six months.
Bishop's signing wasn't announced until May 22, which means he wasn't really a West Virginia football player until about June. His picture wasn't even in this year's media guide.
Now it will be in there forever.
"Everybody's path is different," Bishop explained. "I started at a small school and was under-recruited – a small kid and a lot of coaches really didn't believe in me coming out of high school. I just played with a chip on my shoulder and was blessed by God.
"Everyone here believed in me, or I wouldn't be here," he continued. "Coach ShaDon (Brown) coached me real hard and didn't let me get complacent. I have dreams and aspirations of playing in the NFL and this is only some of it."
"He's about the right things," ShaDon Brown pointed out. "He came here as a sixth-year player and had been to a stop previously that didn't go as planned. We had recruited him the year before and really wanted him, and we finally got him here. When he came, he had a blue-collar mentality the entire time, and I told you guys this fall he had that alpha mentality from the day he stepped on campus. He just worked and overachieved because of his work ethic.
"He didn't worry about some of the other things that transfers worry about, and he's now played himself into having an opportunity to play in the National Football League," Brown said.
Bishop admitted that he came to West Virginia on a mission.
"Some guys leave school to get (NIL) money and do all those different things, and I just set a goal that I wanted to go to the NFL," he explained. "I wanted to go somewhere where I will have the opportunity to play, make plays and this was the best spot for me, and I'm glad I chose West Virginia. It helped me a lot."
What Bishop managed to accomplish this year also helped West Virginia considerably and will continue to help the Mountaineers in the future. WVU is now out there hunting for the next Beanie Bishop and is telling players that it can happen here in Morgantown.
"I think it's a good story and it's going to help us in the portal, not only this year but moving forward," West Virginia coach Neal Brown admitted.
What Bishop has done this year reaffirms to the rest of us that there are still plenty of hungry football players out there seeking places to get better – not just to become wealthier.
You hear so much about how college football has changed - some now even refer to it as College Football 2.0 - but there are still ways for programs like West Virginia to thrive. It's just a matter of rolling up your sleeves and working harder to find those Beanie Bishops out there hiding under rocks.
"They are fewer and far between," ShaDon Brown admitted. "You've got to do a really good job of vetting the young man and you usually know with young people pretty quick what they are about. You ask them what's important to him, and if the first thing out of their mouth is NIL and things of that nature, then you probably know really quick that they're not about what a great football player is being about.
"It's cliché, but every great player I've ever coached has been a worker," he continued. "They've done the extra things to make them become the best player they can be."
Last year at this time, Beanie Bishop was pondering his next move in life. He's doing the same thing right now, but his circumstances have changed significantly.
For starters, he was recently invited to play in the East-West Shrine Game, which means he is on the pro people's radar screens.
"He came here, and he just worked," Neal Brown said. "It's not just his on-field performance that helped, but his work ethic and how he's practiced and prepared has really helped our defensive backfield; he's really made a difference back there and we're significantly better because of him."
"Consensus All-Americans don't come around as often as we think they do," ShaDon Brown concluded.
No, coach, they don't.
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