PITTSBURGH — When you’re an undrafted rookie in the NFL, you don’t really get to pick your uniform number. You’re usually just glad to see there is one hanging in the locker with your name at the top, and the number doesn’t really matter. That was the case for Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Beanie Bishop this spring.
Bishop, who wore 21, 29, 7 and 11 over a collegiate career that spanned three schools, the last of which down the road at West Virginia, was given No. 30 when he got to Pittsburgh in April. There was probably little thought given to the fact 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 among the players assigned to a temporary locker in the center of the Steelers’ over-crowded locker room at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
Now, all of that’s changing. After the stress of cut-down day, Bishop still doesn’t have a full locker — that’ll happen this week — but he will be getting a jersey number that he doesn’t have to share with an offensive player.
Duplicate jersey numbers are common in the preseason, especially for a team like the Steelers that has three officially retired and another 11 or so unofficially retired uniform numbers. But in the regular season, everyone has to have their own.
Unfortunately for Bishop, he’s still not really getting to pick. Bishop selected No. 31 out of a fairly minimal number of choices. Of the traditional numbers for defensive backs, most of them 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
The most notable Steelers player ever to wear the jersey was Hall of Fame safety Donnie Shell, who played 201 games for the Steelers from 1974-87, starting in two Super Bowls and winning four.
“It just shows that no matter where you start or where you come in, what round you are in or where you played, backup or whatever, that you can be successful if you have the right attitude,” Shell said in 2021 before his enshrinement.
As a fellow UDFA, Bishop could not possibly pick for a better person’s footsteps to follow.
“It’s the same thing I’ve been going through my whole life,” Bishop said. “I still have to battle every day. Still have to compete. There’s guy on other roster that the scouts watch. … I know the battle is every day.”
Safety Mike Logan wore 31 from 2001-06, including in Super Bowl XL. Ross Cockrell, Justin Layne and Mike Hilton are other notable recent No. 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 31 for most of this offseason. Edwards was waived 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 ALL-TIME NO. 31s
Keanu Neal 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 Slater 1947
Tony Bova 1942
Bob Masters 1939
Jim Letsinger 1933