DeSean Bishop has never asked to rest during a Tennessee game, which is quite a revelation about one of college football’s quintessential workhorses.
Bishop had 34 carries in a 24-14 win over Auburn on Oct. 3. And he had 32 carries in a 26-10 win over No. 13 Alabama
on Oct. 17. Those were two of the top 20 highest rushing attempt totals in a single game in UT history, and they occurred only two weeks apart.“But he ain’t never (going to ask to sit out a play),” running backs coach De’Rail Sims said Oct. 20. “You’re gonna have to doggone take his helmet away and his pads for him to not be ready to go.”
That resistance to skipping a play is an admirable quality in a football player. But Bishop has played 60% of UT’s snaps by running backs, so he’s
obviously gotten a few breaks.
Figuring out when to take Bishop out of the game is a skill that Sims has developed while coaching him over the past three seasons. He pays close attention to Bishop’s body language and his movement because asking him if he’s tired gets nowhere.
“I can tell. I’ve been around him long enough to understand when his juice is high and when his juice is low,” Sims said. “When I feel like he’s getting fatigued a little bit, (I tell him that) you’re taking this drive off (or) you’re taking this series off, so that we can get you back in there stronger.”
Bishop’s stamina is a key factor in the Vols sustaining momentum after the signature win over Alabama. He was named the Doak Walker national running back of the week for his 159-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Crimson Tide.
But No. 11 Tennessee (6-1, 3-1 SEC) may need a repeat performance from Bishop when it plays at South Carolina (3-3, 1-3) on Oct. 24 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
DeSean Bishop had 1,000 carries in high school
Bishop has rushed for 837 yards, third-most in the nation, and 10 touchdowns this season. His 139 carries are third-most among running backs, but he’s been at his best late in games.
Bishop leads the nation with 517 yards rushing and eight TDs in the second half of games. That fact has challenged Sims to determine how much to conserve Bishop for a late surge. He knows Bishop isn't going to do it for himself.
“You can just tell the more and more that he gets, the stronger he gets as the game goes along,” Sims said. “(It is) not intentional to load him up that way (with so many carries). It just gets to the point where he gets hot, and you just got to let him go.
“But he’s a guy that’s been built this way his whole career, starting back in high school.”
Bishop was the ultimate workhouse in high school. At Karns, he amassed 1,017 carries in three seasons and rushed for 8,347 yards. But he’s practically lived in the weight room since coming to Tennessee to become a 215-pound muscle-bound wrecking ball.
“He’s always in the training room getting his body right. The guy has a crazy work ethic,” offensive tackle Jesse Perry said. “And when you see him out of pads, the dude is huge.”
DeSean Bishop's yards after contact are eye-opening
Bishop has been on a tear in SEC play with 551 yards rushing in four conference games. Amazingly, 408 yards came after contact with a defender, according to Pro Football Focus.
“It’s fun blocking for DeSean because even if we miss a block, he’s going to make us right,” offensive guard Donovan Haslam said. “He always runs hard no matter what. He’s going to run through them or make them miss.”
Sims said Bishop’s strong frame and his confidence in that strength have helped him overpower tired tacklers, especially late in games. The best example was when Bishop carried the ball on six consecutive snaps to cap a 9 minute, 32-second scoring drive to secure the win over Alabama, including his 5-yard TD.
“(Extra muscle) gives you a little bit more body armor,” Sims said. “The other deal is that it’s a mentality. Understanding that he has more armor on his body, that makes him be more of a weapon. And as the game goes along, they get tired of hitting you because you’ve got the extra mass.”
Bishop and the Vols will face one of the SEC’s best rushing defenses. South Carolina has allowed only 103.7 yards rushing per game, third fewest in the SEC. And it’s given up only four rushing TDs all season.
No team has rushed for more than 135 yards against the Gamecocks. Bishop averages 138 yards rushing in SEC games.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Tennessee football coaches make DeSean Bishop rest without taking his helmet away
