He's finally found his arena

Page 2 of 2 -- “I had no idea about breaking a record like that,” said Bishop. “I had six carries for 100 yards and they were all designed runs for me to get outside. With my ability I was able to get out and take it to the endzone with some moves and speed. That’s something I have been blessed with. Once they call my number outside the pocket I do what I can do.”

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Prior to joining Grand Rapids in 2004, Bishop was playing in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts. He joined the Argos in 2002 after playing in NFL Europe during 2001 with the Frankfurt Galaxy.

With the Argos, Bishop made an immediate impact and helped lead them to the post-season and a trip to the Eastern Final, where they lost 35-18 to eventual Grey Cup champion the Montreal Alouettes.

“The CFL gets a lot of support from their fans and they love the game,” said Bishop. “It’s another game that is also growing that is getting the attention from a lot of guys from different leagues. If you can’t make it anywhere else, that’s a league that is giving players an opportunity. I am thankful to them.”

Outside of playing football, Bishop enjoys spending time in Houston with his family.

“I have a big family and when I’m not playing football I always come back home,” said Bishop. “You never know what could happen and I just try to be around them. I have a lot of nieces and nephews who look up to me and want to be around them as much as possible.”

Bishop was the eighth-round draft pick of the Patriots in 2000 and came out of Kansas State as one the school’s all-time greatest quarterbacks. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1999 to Ricky Williams and posted a 22-3 record (.880) starting at quarterback.

“A lot of the credit goes to my (Kansas State) teammates who went out to battle with me week in and week out,” said Bishop. “They made sure I was on the right track and doing the right things.”

As far as the current Patriots, Bishop harbors no ill-feelings towards the club and is very excited to be an alumni of one of the most successful teams in the NFL, fresh off their third Super Bowl victory in four years.

“I keep in touch with a lot of the guys on the team,” said Bishop. “They have a good thing going right now, especially with the chemistry. I am proud of those guys and hope they continue to play well.”