Partial
08-30-2007, 02:39 PM
Bishop becomes a big hit
ROB REISCHEL
Pity poor Reggie Williams. Really now, he never had a chance.
Desmond Bishop? He has more than a fighting chance - just ask Williams.
Williams, a wide receiver for Jacksonville, was laid out to dry last Thursday when Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich threw his way on a shallow crossing route. Bishop, a rookie linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, was sitting and waiting for the kill shot.
What happened next can only be described as violent.
Bishop absolutely blew up Williams, causing the receiver to lose his helmet in the process. It was the type of hit that ignites defenses, energizes the crowd and resonates with your coaches.
"Great hit. Great hit," Packers defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said. "Those do a lot for a defense."
And this one might have done a lot for Bishop.
Bishop is in a spirited battle with second-year man Abdul Hodge to win the backup middle linebacker job behind Nick Barnett. That hit - along with Bishop's team-leading five tackles against Jacksonville - might have been enough to earn him a roster spot.
Hodge, meanwhile, struggled through a nondescript night and finished with just one tackle.
"I still got a lot of proving to do," Bishop said. "I still need to show my teammates, my coaches and the organization that I belong. All I can do is go out on the field, make the most of my opportunities and let the chips fall where they may."
Bishop has certainly done the most with the opportunities presented him, to date.
Bishop, a sixth-round draft choice, arrived at training camp with no better than 50-50 odds of sticking. Right now, though, it would be a major surprise if he's not part of the Packers' final 53-man roster.
Bishop has lived up to his reputation of being a solid run stuffer. And he's been better in the passing game than he was given credit for.
"He's done a good job, he really has," Packers defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said of Bishop. "He's improved. He has cover skills. He's tough, he's instinctive, physical. It will be fun to watch him from here because he has those tools that you like to see."
Bishop (6-foot-2, 241) was the textbook definition of run-stopper at California. He led the Golden Bears in tackles his final two seasons, including 126 as a senior. He lifted 225 pounds a whopping 33 times at the NFL combine, showing off his tremendous upper body strength.
Bishop was so confident in his own ability that on draft day, he boasted there wasn't a better run-stopper in the draft than him.
What killed Bishop in the eyes of scouts, though, was his speed, or lack thereof. Bishop ran the 40-yard dash in a disappointing 4.82 seconds at the combine, then ran almost an identical time on his pro day (4.81). So scouts liked Bishop's propensity for blowing up ball carriers, but they weren't as confident in his ability to arrive in time.
"That hurt me a lot," Bishop said of his time in the 40-yard dash. "But running a 40, that's never really been my game. I definitely have game speed. One of my coaches once told me football's not a track meet and I've taken that approach.
"From Pop Warner until now, I was never a fast guy. But wherever I was going to be, I was going to be there consistently. That's me. And I can never remember even once not making a play because of a lack of speed."
For the most part, Bishop's speed hasn't been a problem throughout camp. He's extremely instinctive and hasn't been out of position due to poor foot speed.
Bishop was primarily responsible for a 15-yard touchdown run by Seattle's Maurice Morris two weeks ago when he picked the wrong hole. Aside from that, though, he's made very few errors.
"Up to this point, he has shown instincts and the ability to get himself in position to make plays," Sanders said. "He's done a good job."
Bishop insists he's capable of playing on the strong side, as well as the middle. But the Packers aren't interested in having him learn two positions right now.
So that means Bishop and Hodge could very well be slugging it out for one job.
"If that's what it is, then that's what it is," the 23-year old Bishop said.
Just 16 months ago, Packers general manager Ted Thompson invested a third-round pick on Hodge. But Hodge struggled mightily during his lone start at Seattle last season. And this summer, Hodge has been fighting chronic patellar tendinitis in both knees that has limited him.
Bishop, meanwhile, passed Hodge up early in camp and has been running with the No. 2 defense ever since. And his monster hit of Williams might have clinched his spot on the team.
"(Former Packers great and Hall of Famer) Willie Davis was here recently and he said, 'An early start beats fast running,' " Bishop said. "I'm not the fastest guy, but I am versatile and can make plays and I can be in the right spot at the right time. Hopefully I get a chance to keep showing that."
Right now, it would come as a major surprise if he didn't get that chance.
ROB REISCHEL
Pity poor Reggie Williams. Really now, he never had a chance.
Desmond Bishop? He has more than a fighting chance - just ask Williams.
Williams, a wide receiver for Jacksonville, was laid out to dry last Thursday when Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich threw his way on a shallow crossing route. Bishop, a rookie linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, was sitting and waiting for the kill shot.
What happened next can only be described as violent.
Bishop absolutely blew up Williams, causing the receiver to lose his helmet in the process. It was the type of hit that ignites defenses, energizes the crowd and resonates with your coaches.
"Great hit. Great hit," Packers defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said. "Those do a lot for a defense."
And this one might have done a lot for Bishop.
Bishop is in a spirited battle with second-year man Abdul Hodge to win the backup middle linebacker job behind Nick Barnett. That hit - along with Bishop's team-leading five tackles against Jacksonville - might have been enough to earn him a roster spot.
Hodge, meanwhile, struggled through a nondescript night and finished with just one tackle.
"I still got a lot of proving to do," Bishop said. "I still need to show my teammates, my coaches and the organization that I belong. All I can do is go out on the field, make the most of my opportunities and let the chips fall where they may."
Bishop has certainly done the most with the opportunities presented him, to date.
Bishop, a sixth-round draft choice, arrived at training camp with no better than 50-50 odds of sticking. Right now, though, it would be a major surprise if he's not part of the Packers' final 53-man roster.
Bishop has lived up to his reputation of being a solid run stuffer. And he's been better in the passing game than he was given credit for.
"He's done a good job, he really has," Packers defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said of Bishop. "He's improved. He has cover skills. He's tough, he's instinctive, physical. It will be fun to watch him from here because he has those tools that you like to see."
Bishop (6-foot-2, 241) was the textbook definition of run-stopper at California. He led the Golden Bears in tackles his final two seasons, including 126 as a senior. He lifted 225 pounds a whopping 33 times at the NFL combine, showing off his tremendous upper body strength.
Bishop was so confident in his own ability that on draft day, he boasted there wasn't a better run-stopper in the draft than him.
What killed Bishop in the eyes of scouts, though, was his speed, or lack thereof. Bishop ran the 40-yard dash in a disappointing 4.82 seconds at the combine, then ran almost an identical time on his pro day (4.81). So scouts liked Bishop's propensity for blowing up ball carriers, but they weren't as confident in his ability to arrive in time.
"That hurt me a lot," Bishop said of his time in the 40-yard dash. "But running a 40, that's never really been my game. I definitely have game speed. One of my coaches once told me football's not a track meet and I've taken that approach.
"From Pop Warner until now, I was never a fast guy. But wherever I was going to be, I was going to be there consistently. That's me. And I can never remember even once not making a play because of a lack of speed."
For the most part, Bishop's speed hasn't been a problem throughout camp. He's extremely instinctive and hasn't been out of position due to poor foot speed.
Bishop was primarily responsible for a 15-yard touchdown run by Seattle's Maurice Morris two weeks ago when he picked the wrong hole. Aside from that, though, he's made very few errors.
"Up to this point, he has shown instincts and the ability to get himself in position to make plays," Sanders said. "He's done a good job."
Bishop insists he's capable of playing on the strong side, as well as the middle. But the Packers aren't interested in having him learn two positions right now.
So that means Bishop and Hodge could very well be slugging it out for one job.
"If that's what it is, then that's what it is," the 23-year old Bishop said.
Just 16 months ago, Packers general manager Ted Thompson invested a third-round pick on Hodge. But Hodge struggled mightily during his lone start at Seattle last season. And this summer, Hodge has been fighting chronic patellar tendinitis in both knees that has limited him.
Bishop, meanwhile, passed Hodge up early in camp and has been running with the No. 2 defense ever since. And his monster hit of Williams might have clinched his spot on the team.
"(Former Packers great and Hall of Famer) Willie Davis was here recently and he said, 'An early start beats fast running,' " Bishop said. "I'm not the fastest guy, but I am versatile and can make plays and I can be in the right spot at the right time. Hopefully I get a chance to keep showing that."
Right now, it would come as a major surprise if he didn't get that chance.