PITTSBURGH — When you’re an undrafted rookie in the NFL, you don’t really get to choose your jersey number. Usually, you’re just happy to have one with your name on it hanging at the top of your locker, and the number doesn’t matter much. That was the case this spring for Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Beanie Bishop.
Bishop, who wore numbers 21, 29, 7 and 11 during his college career at three schools, most recently at West Virginia, was given number 30 when he arrived in Pittsburgh in April. He probably wasn’t reminded that 30 is also worn by Steelers running back Jaylen Warren.
Forget the number, Bishop didn’t even get a full locker to hang his jersey in. He was one of the players assigned a makeshift locker in the middle of the Steelers’ crowded locker room at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
Now that’s all changing. After the stress of cut-down day, Bishop still doesn’t have a full locker — that will happen this week — but he will get a jersey number that he won’t have to share with an offensive player.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop at training camp on August 3, 2023. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Duplicate jersey numbers are common in the preseason, especially for a team like the Steelers, who have three officially retired jersey numbers and about 11 more unofficially retired. But in the regular season, everyone must have their own.
Unfortunately, Bishop still doesn’t have a real choice. Bishop chose number 31 from a fairly small number of options. Most of the traditional numbers for defensive backs are already taken.
20 DB Cameron Sutton
21 CB Darius Rush
22 RB Najee Harris
23 FS Damontae Kazee
24 CB Joey Porter Jr.
25 SS DeShon Elliott
26 CB Donte Jackson
27 CB Cory Trice Jr.
28 SS miles Killebrew
29 SS Ryan Watts
30 RB Jaylen Warren
31 NB Beanie Bishop
32 Retired – Franco Harris
33
34 FS DeShon Elliott
35
36 Unofficially retired – Jerome Bettis
37
38
39 FS Minkah Fitzpatrick
Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety and Hall of Famer Donnie Shell in training camp on August 12, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The most famous Steelers player to ever wear this jersey was Hall of Fame safety Donnie Shell, who played 201 games for the Steelers from 1974 to 1987, winning two Super Bowls.
“It just shows that if you have the right mindset, you can be successful no matter where you start or come in, what round you’re in or where you played, reserve or whatever,” Shell said in 2021 before his induction.
As a fellow UDFA, Bishop couldn’t possibly follow in the footsteps of a better person.
“It’s the same thing I’ve been through my whole life,” Bishop said. “I still have to fight every day. I still have to compete. There’s a guy on the other roster that the scouts are watching. … I know the fight is there every day.”
Safety Mike Logan wore number 31 from 2001 to 2006, including in Super Bowl XL. Ross Cockrell, Justin Layne and Mike Hilton are other notable recent players to wear number 31 for the Steelers.
The last Steelers player to wear No. 31 was defensive back Zyon Gilbert, who was released on Wednesday. Cornerback Kalon Barnes and running back Daijun Edwards both wore No. 31 for most of this offseason. Edwards was released on Monday and Barnes was released with an injury settlement earlier this month. The last Steelers player to wear No. 31 in a regular season game was safety Keanu Neal in 2023.
STEELERS – No. 31 of all time
Kevin MacLeod 2023
Justin Layne 2019-21
Nat Berhe 2018
Mike Hilton 2017
Ross Cockrell 2015-16
Curtis Brown 2011-13
Keiwan Ratliff 2009
Fernando Bryant 2008
Mike Logan 2001-06
Donnie Shell 1974-87
Al Young 1971-72
Carl Crennel 1970
Dick Leftridge 1966
Ed Holler 1964
Larry Krutko 1958
Walt Slater1947
Tony Bova 1942
Bob Masters 1939
Jim Letsinger 1933
