Rookie DB still a work in progress after preseason debut with Steelers

Friday night will be a night Beanie Bishop will remember forever. The West Virginia product made his NFL debut in the Steelers' preseason opener against the Houston Texans.

But for Bishop, what matters most of all is how his head coach remembers his performance in Pittsburgh's 20-12 loss.

So how did Bishop perform while getting the start at nickel?

Bishop finished second on the defense in total tackles , with all four coming as solo tackles. But at the same time, the Texans also targeted Bishop's side of the field frequently, likely trying to pick on the rookie to test him.

Bishop did show hustle, but also got beat when out in space by Texans' receivers. Houston's rookie tight end Cade Stover was even able to take advantage of Bishop blitzing for a 16-yard gain.

"I thought he did some good things tonight but we got a lot of work in front of us and opportunities for a young guy like him to round out his game from a detail perspective," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in his postgame press conference about what he saw from Bishop.

Bishop needs to keep putting in work at training camp and continue to impress Tomlin enough to earn more opportunities in games. It now remains to be seen if Bishop starts again in Pittsburgh's next preseason game against Buffalo next Saturday.

Bishop’s camp success might be surprising for some, but it’s just the latest example of the former West Virginia Mountaineer making the most of every opportunity.

“I have to come back tomorrow and prove myself again and do the same thing the next day,” Bishop said to Aaron Becker of Yardbarker at training camp on Friday. “I’m trying to take advantage of all the reps that I get. Every day I’m coming to compete for a spot just like everyone else.”

Bishop has continually reiterated his desire to prove his doubters wrong, even NFL teams who passed on him, since he showed up in Pittsburgh as a free-agent signee of the Steelers.

“It’s one of those things that helps me every day whenever I think about getting comfortable,” Bishop expressed to WV Sports Now in May.

Bishop has carried a chip on his shoulder going back to when he was an undersized kid. That chip then intensified when he had to start his college career at a Group of 5 program in Western Kentucky.

“I’m 0 surprised with Beanie. He’s a football player. He may not check off all the boxes, but he’s a football player,” said WVU head coach Neal Brown when asked about Bishop already making his presence felt with the Steelers.