Hall of Fame
Position: Quarterback
Years: 1997-98
Place of Birth: Galveston, TX
Date of Birth: May 15, 1976
Jersey Number: 7
Height: 6-1
Weight: 215
High School: Willis (TX)
Widely regarded as the best all-around quarterback in Kansas State history, Michael Bishop helped College Football Hall of Fame Coach Bill Snyder turn the Wildcats into a national powerhouse with an overall 22-3 record during his two-year tenure in Manhattan. The Willis, Texas, native now becomes the fourth K-State player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A 1998 consensus First Team All-American, Bishop claimed the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback. He was also named the Heisman Trophy runner-up and a finalist for Maxwell and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards. Complementing the efforts of fellow College Football Hall of Fame inductee Mark Simoneau, who led the defense in 1998, Bishop helped guide the Wildcats to the school's first-ever No. 1 national ranking late into the season, culminating in a Big 12 North title and K-State's first berth in a conference championship game. The season ended with an appearance in the Alamo Bowl; an 11-2 record; and a No. 10 ranking in the final AP Poll. The previous season, Bishop and the Wildcats claimed a Big 12 North title and went 11-1, capped by a 35-18 win over Syracuse in the Fiesta Bowl and a No. 8 ranking in the final AP Poll.
A two-time All-Big 12 performer, Bishop set 34 school records and 14 Big 12 records. He rushed for 1,314 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing for 4,401 yards and 36 touchdowns in two seasons. Bishop still holds eight K-State records, including single-season passing efficiency (159.6), single-season interception percentage (1.36), and single-season yards per game (299.3). He was inducted into the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016, and he was added to the school's Ring of Honor in 2015.
Drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by New England, Bishop spent two years with the Patriots before moving to the CFL and helping the Toronto Argonauts win the 2004 Grey Cup. He also claimed an Arena Bowl Championship with the AFL's Chicago Rush.
Bishop is the head football coach at Legacy School of Sport Sciences in the Houston area and the CEO of 4th Quarter Fitness. He has participated in activities with the Boys and Girls Club, Toys for Tots and Habitat for Humanity. He is a regular volunteer with football and basketball youth teams.
