Michael Bishop is regarded as the greatest quarterback in Kansas State history, and years after being inducted into the Kansas State Hall of Fame, Bishop was honored by the National Football Foundation and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday evening.
During his two years at Kansas St., Bishop helped College Football Hall of Famer coach Bill Snyder turn the Wildcats into a national powerhouse. Under their leadership, the team went 22-3 between the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
“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,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell at the joint K-State, NFF event in Manhattan, KS on November 11th. “We are thrilled to honor him at Bill Snyder Family Stadium as a member of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class.”
Bishop’s tenure in Manhattan, KS was filled with accolades players dream of.
He was a 2x All-Big 12 player who set 34 school records and 12 Big 12 records. In his two-year career, he threw for 4,401 yards and 36 TDs while also rushing for 1,314 yards and 23 TDs. As of today, he still holds eight school records, including single-season passing efficiency (159.6), single-season interception percentage (1.36), and single-season yards per game (299.3).
In 1998, Bishop led the Wildcats to a Big 12 North title and the program’s first-ever No.1 national ranking and appearance in the conference championship game. At the end of the season, K-State finished with an 11-2 record and was ranked 10th in the country. This was the second year that he led the team to a top 10 ranking and 11 wins (in 1997, K-State finished 11-1 and was ranked 8th).
For his efforts, Bishop was a consensus First Team All-American and won the Davey O’Brien Award as the top quarterback in the nation. That year he also finished second in the Heisman Trophy race behind Texas running back Ricky Williams and was a finalist for the Maxwell and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards.
Kansas State fans still hold Bishop’s accomplishments dear, and he cherishes his time with the Wildcats.
“To go in the class of 2023 with everybody that’s involved, that’s on this stage, it is a huge accomplishment,” said Bishop at the Awards press conference. “When you’re young and you’re growing up, you’re just thinking about just making the next play, winning the big game. But to be in the situation that we’re all in right now, this is amazing.”
Bishop was drafted by New England in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft and played for the Patriots for two years before heading to Canada to play in the CFL. In 2004, he led the Toronto Argonauts to a CFL title and wound up winning another title in the Arena League with the Chicago Rush.
In 2015, Bishop was added to the university’s Ring of Honor. A year later, he was inducted into the Kansas State Athletics Hall of Fame.
Now, Michael Bishop is the fourth K-State player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
Congrats Michael!
