Johnny Bishop didn’t need long to know he’d found the right opportunity.
After a recruiting process that picked up late, the Putnam County offensive lineman is headed to Andrew College in Cuthbert, near Columbus. He recently signed his letter of intent to continue his football career at the next level.
“I’m glad I found a place for the fall,” Bishop said. “It’s always been a dream of mine since I got to high school to play at the next level. Honestly, I just want to go up from here.”
Bishop said the opportunity with Andrew College came together through a combination of his film and support from his coaches at Putnam County, who helped get his name in front of the right people. The connection quickly became personal.
“The head coach actually texted me himself,” Bishop said. “He said he saw my film, and my coaches helped promote me and get me out there. They got in contact, and everything kind of went from there.”
A campus visit solidified his decision.
“It’s a nice place,” Bishop said. “The coaches are cool, and I got to meet some of the players. They told me how the program runs and how everything works.”
Bishop, who played tackle at Putnam County, is expected to transition inside at the next level. Andrew College projects him primarily as a guard, though his versatility could allow Bishop to move around as he continues to develop physically.
“They run a pretty similar scheme to [Putnam],” Bishop said. “Right now, they see me at guard, but depending on how I grow, I could move back out to tackle.”
At 6-foot-3 and around 330 pounds, Bishop already brings college-ready size to the position, and he’s focused on refining his game as he prepares for the next level.
His foundation, he said, was built during his time with the War Eagles under head coach Joel Harvin, where he spent three seasons learning and growing.
“I’m proud to say I came from Putnam County,” Bishop said. “Coach Harvin taught me a lot, and I got to learn from a bunch of different offensive line coaches. I’m just proud of the team, the staff, and all my teammates I’ve grown with.”
Harvin is proud of Bishop for pursuing his dreams.
“Johnny has been a vocal leader for our program and has an infectious personality,” Harvin said. “He has been a joy to coach for the last three years and has shown all our underclassmen how to be leaders.”
While Friday nights provided plenty of memories, Bishop said some of his favorite moments came off the field, particularly in bonding with his fellow linemen during a summer camp.
“Just being able to bond with the (offensive) line, that was a great experience for all of us,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to hang out with your teammates like that.”
Now, Bishop turns his attention to what comes next. He plans to major in cybersecurity or computer science while working to carve out a role in a young Andrew College program that he hopes to help elevate.
“They haven’t had a team for very long, I think two or three years,” Bishop said. “I want to go down there and make an impact.”
He also sees the program as a stepping stone, with the potential to eventually move on to a higher level of college football.
“They build you up, give you that college coaching, and then send you off to a D1 or D2 school,” Bishop said. “They’ve done that for a lot of players, and I want to be one of those guys. I’m going to go down there and work for it.”