Beanie Bishop Jr.’s NFL profession has principally been synonymous together with his two interceptions of Aaron Rodgers (and later getting Rodgers to signal each footballs) in the course of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the New York Jets in Week 7 of the 2024 season. Bishop is now recognized for one thing else, although. 

A proud West Virginia alum, Bishop just lately posted a video of himself dragging his cleats on Pitt’s emblem contained in the coaching facility that the Steelers share with the college’s soccer crew. His actions apparently did not sit effectively with a number of Pitt gamers who watched the tip of the Steelers’ OTA observe earlier than having some phrases for Bishop. 

“It is a rivalry,” Bishop stated following observe, through the Pittsburgh Tribune-Assessment. “Folks aren’t going to love me primarily based off what faculty I went to, and that is effective. It is a part of the rivalry. We do not like them guys. They do not like us.”

Whereas he is not a fan of Pitt, Bishop stated his actions had been made in good enjoyable whereas including that he’s associates with former Panther and present Carolina Panthers defensive again MJ Devonshire, who like Bishop was a part of the NFL’s 2024 rookie class. 

“I acquired some guys I’m cool with that I practice with who went to Pitt,” Bishop stated. “It was towards them slightly bit. They speak mess to me, and I speak mess to them.”

As Bishop alluded to, West Virginia and Pitt share one of many longest and most bitter rivalries in school soccer. Nicknamed the Yard Brawl, the colleges first confronted one another method again in 1895. All informed, the Panthers and Mountaineers have met on the gridiron 107 occasions with Pitt holding a 63-41-3 collection lead. 

Including to the depth of the rivalry is the truth that the colleges are lower than 80 miles away from one another. There is a good probability that, in case you reside in Western Pennsylvania, you’re both a fan of the Pitt, West Virginia, or Penn State, which has its personal rivalry with Pitt. 

The rivalry has included some epic video games, most notably Pitt’s surprising upset of then-No. 2 West Virginia in December of 2007. A 28-point underdog, Pitt left Morgantown with a 13-9 upset win that disadvantaged the Mountaineers a shot at taking part in for a nationwide title. Including to the magnitude of Pitt’s upset win was that it was the a centesimal assembly between the 2 colleges. It was additionally the ultimate recreation at (on the time) for West Virginia for Wealthy Rodriguez, who’s returning to the college this yr.   

Whereas there isn’t any love misplaced between the 2 colleges, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi expressed strongly that his crew ought to proceed to play West Virginia on an annual foundation. After taking part in one another nearly yearly from 1919-2011 (the one years they did not play one another throughout that span was from 1940-43, when World Conflict II was happening), the 2 colleges did not play one another for over a decade earlier than the rivalry resumed in 2022. This yr’s Yard Brawl is slated to be the ultimate one till 2029. 

“This rivalry goes most likely proper on the prime or close to the highest of rivalry video games I’ve performed in,” Narduzzi just lately stated of the Yard Brawl. “If the individuals of Pittsburgh have by no means been to the Yard Brawl, it is among the finest, if not one of the best within the nation, in my view. What makes an ideal rivalry? There’s loads of hate on this rivalry. I have been round loads of rivalries, however the hate West Virginia has for Pitt, the disrespect, to me, that makes a rivalry. Generally it isn’t clear. I do know there’s loads of Pitt followers that do not wish to journey all the way down to Morgantown due to that. Nevertheless it’s proper up there on the prime.”

Relating to Bishop, he stated that he does not remorse his determination to scrub his spikes on Pitt’s emblem. He additionally did not thoughts a few of Pitt’s gamers determined to deal with it with him following Wednesday’s observe. 

“I checked out it because the Beanie Bishop fan membership,” he stated with a smile. “It’s what it’s. It is a part of the rivalry. I am solely involved in regards to the Pittsburgh Steelers followers and the West Virginia followers in that occasion.”