In the first two days of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, rookie undrafted free agent cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. is getting quite the opportunity at slot corner with the first-team defense.
Through the first two practices, Bishop has been running with the 1s and is generating some buzz as a guy who could be the answer in the slot, especially with veteran cornerback Cameron Sutton suspended the first eight games of the season.
For veteran safety DeShon Elliott, who signed with the team as a free agent in March, Bishop is a talented player, one who is doing all the right things from a preparation standpoint.
Not only that, Bishop is trying to learn everything he can from veterans, including Elliott. That has the hard-hitting safety believing the West Virginia product will be a great player.
“He is doing good. You know, rook is doing his best, learning every day, asking questions every day, coming to my dorm room and bothering me every day,” Elliott said of Bishop, according to video via YardBarker’s Aaron Becker on Twitter. “But I love that boy. I think he’s gonna be a great player if he’s being persistent.
“Keep wanting to learn and grow and listen to the coaches and follow the leadership of the older guys. I think it’ll be fun.”
Stepping into a situation like the Steelers with a star-studded defense, Bishop has a real opportunity in front of him, not only from a playing-time perspective, but from a growth and development standpoint as well.
Coming out of college, Bishop had plenty of experience, having started at three different programs in Western Kentucky, Minnesota and then West Virginia. Add that he’s 24 and he’s a mature player who understands what it takes to play at a consistent level, even if it was at the college level.
That doesn’t mean he isn’t taking advantage of leaning on veterans like Elliott. It’s great to hear that he’s “bothering” Elliott (who said that in a joking fashion), doing all he can to soak up as much experience as he can from guys who have been around the block a time or two in the NFL.
So far, so good for Bishop. In Elliott’s eyes, he just needs to keep doing everything in his power he can to learn and grow daily, whether that’s listening to coaches or teammates — or both — and let his skills shine on the field.
Do that enough, stack enough days and he could wind up being a starter for the Black and Gold.
