West Virginia corner Beanie Bishop is not the biggest guy in the room.
Listed at 5-foot-10, 184 pounds, Bishop certainly does not have the physical attributes to make him stand out. What he does have though is a knack for the ball. Bishop recorded two interceptions in WVU’s win over UCF.
After the win, Bishop was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week as well as Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week.
He now ranks second in the Big 12 in interceptions, while ranking first in pass breakups and passes defended.
Brown says a lot of times Bishop seems to be targeted more not because of his size but because of his positioning on the field. Brown says Bishop tends to play into the boundary and that is where a lot of the targets go for opposing offenses.
“He is smaller, he’s not small, but he’s smaller than some of the bigger guys in our league that are 6-foot-2, 200-plus pounds. His best football is when he’s in man coverage. He does a good job using his hands. He does a good job of using his hands to be able to see and get his eyes back. He’s had several interceptions and he’s dropped a few,” Brown said.
Bishop is a two-time transfer in his final year of eligibility despite being in only his first year at West Virginia. Bishop spent four years at Western Kentucky before playing at Minnesota last season.
Brown said his staff tried to get Bishop to come play for the Mountaineers when he originally left Western Kentucky, but Bishop ultimately decided to go to Minnesota.
“We really tried to get him coming out of Western Kentucky. When he went into the portal the first time, we really tried to get him. We though he’d be a plus player for us. I knew what kind of person we were getting because he’s from Louisville, I knew the people that trained him, I knew the people that coached him in high school and I trust those individuals. He made a ton of plays on the ball,” Brown said.
Last year at Minnesota, Bishop did not put up the numbers he is here due to where they played him on defense.
“He played (at Minnesota). It wasn’t like he didn’t play, but he didn’t play to the extent he wanted to and I think that’s why he left again. We had a distinct need. We wanted somebody that was a veteran, had leadership, and could cover and so far all three of those areas have been a check for him,” Brown said.
So far, Bishop has exceeded expectations. With the four interceptions, 16 passes defended, and 12 pass breakups, the numbers speak for themselves. For Brown, Bishop also brings another element to the secondary off the field as a leader.
“He’s been a really good influence. Not just his performance on the field, but he’s been really good as a veteran guy in that secondary room as a corner and safety. He goes to work, he’s consistent, he does all the little things as far as taking care of his body so he’s been a good kind of leader in that group,” Brown said.
