Thursday, October 12, 2006

SF Chronicle: 'Darkside' Desmond the force of the Bears


Tenacious Bishop leads Cal's defense by example
Rusty Simmons, Chronicle Staff Writer
Desmond Bishop wasn't going to let the ball hit the turf.  When he saw Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon's pass fluttering inches above the ground Saturday, the Cal linebacker dived headlong and just got his fingertips underneath it.  Bishop's father, who was a defensive back at Illinois and in the USFL, had often joked about his son's inability to intercept a pass since high school, but this pick wasn't to stop that teasing. It was about proving something to his teammates.   "I want my teammates to know that I rise to the occasion, whatever it is," said Bishop, who leads the team with 42 tackles and is ninth in the Pac-10. "Being a captain, leading my team against 100,000 fans in Tennessee or playing against ranked teams, I want my teammates to know that I'll always be there when they need me."  Bishop, who has been labeled a "throw-back" linebacker, is the lone Cal player who has been selected captain each week, and his words and actions are followed by every team member without question.  "He makes plays in big games, and everyone follows him," linebacker Zack Follett said. "Some people can do it and some can't, but people will always follow Des."  That may never have been more evident than it was against Oregon, which was ranked No. 11 by the Associated Press and sported an offense that led the conference in scoring and total yards when it played the Bears. The Ducks left Berkeley with their first loss of the season and some major hits to their offensive numbers.

"That was one of his best games," linebackers coach Bob Foster said. "We gave him a lot to do with pre-snap keys and recognizing formations and the offensive cheats, and he did a magnificent job of getting people in the right place."  The 6-foot-2, 242-pounder has become the face of the Cal defense. Other players parrot everything he says, which is displayed each time they break the huddle by saying, "Darkside."  Bishop remembers his father telling him about the saying from "Star Wars."  "It's about taking away all life from the opposing offense," he said. "To be the Darkside."

The Bears showed glimpses of being that kind of unit during the first four weeks, but they also had some letdowns, like allowing three of their first four opponents to score on opening possessions. Before the Oregon State game in Week 5, Bishop promised that the trend wouldn't continue.

After the Beavers drove 68 yards, Bishop forced a fumble to end the drive and keep his guarantee.  "I don't want this to sound negative, but I'm not sure he's a great athlete; he's just a great football player," defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said. "We've seen those guys with all the records in the weight room who can't play football. Forget the weight room with Desmond, he's just a football player."  Bishop studies more video of his opponents than anyone.  "We accuse him of freelancing or guessing, but he's usually right, so he must study and know something we don't know," Foster said. "He guides the front and he's an emotional leader, too. On top of that, he's a good player, so he means about everything to our defense that you can possibly imagine."

He supplies the linebacking corps with a tenacious competitiveness.  "The linebackers compete at everything from the Madden video game, to poker, to things on the football field," linebacker Mickey Pimentel said. "Zack and Desmond were getting on me (during the Arizona State game), because they each had a sack, so I had to do something."  One series after the playful ribbing, Pimentel intercepted a pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown.  "In order for the defense and the team to be successful, someone had to step up and say the necessary things," Bishop said. "That role was kind of handed to me and I've embraced it."

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