Bills Central

Sean McDermott reveals Bills veteran who's been invaluable as Cole Bishop's big-game confidence whisperer

Buffalo Bills rookie safety Cole Bishop will start in place of the injured Taylor Rapp in Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brian Letscher

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15), Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde.
Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15), Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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Rookie safety Cole Bishop has some Taylor Rapp sized shoes to fill. Thankfully, the guy before Rapp, Pro-Bowler Micah Hyde, is back on the Bills and ready to drop some of that veteran wisdom and knowledge on the young player.

Discussing the impact of Hyde's presence on Bishops preparation, McDermott was quick to respond, "That's big. Micah's been in these big games, three or four of them -- that experience alone [is valuable] plus when the coaches aren't around Micah's spending some time with Cole and...like anything else it's not being afraid to ask a question you don't want to ask or feel you've asked [a coach] enough, we've all experienced that growing up and just having someone [he] can confide in -- that certainly helps. (at 2:20 mark below)

McDermott is confident Bishop will be ready to go, “He’s a young player, but at the same time, he’s grown,” McDermott said on Friday, “He went through an injury at training camp. Missed a lot of time that set his growth back, or delayed it at least. Then he came back and he’s grown through each experience. Confident he’ll continue to do that.”

Cole Bishop
Sep 23, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop (24). / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Hyde himself is also impressed with Bishop, “Since I’ve even been here, he’s taken great strides and not letting the same mistakes happen twice. That’s a big thing," Hyde said to reporters, according to Matt Parrino of NYUp.com. “That’s something that I was always taught as a young guy: learn from your mistakes. ... I think that the sky’s the limit for him, for sure.”

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Brian Letscher
BRIAN LETSCHER

A Michigan native, Brian graduated from the University of Michigan in another century, where he earned a degree in economics and a Rose Bowl Championship ring while playing football for the Wolverines under Head Coach Gary Moeller. Brian went on to coach Division 1A football for several years before becoming a full-time writer and actor while maintaining an unhealthy interest in sports. He is currently developing a scripted television series, THOSE WHO STAY, based on a series of historical fiction articles he wrote about Bo Schembechler's Michigan football program as they struggle to unite and win the championship - which requires beating #1 Ohio State - during the tumultuous civil rights and anti-war movements of 1969.

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