William Eugene Bishop (May 8, 1931 â May 14, 1998) was an American professional football player who was a defensive lineman for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
A former United States Air Force member, he played college football for the North Texas State Eagles from 1949 to 1951. Much of his pro career was spent with the Chicago Bears; although he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1952 NFL draft, he was traded to Chicago shortly after. He spent nine seasons with the Bears, remaining close with his teammates but frequently clashing with coach George Halas for salary reasons; in 1960, Bishop remarked, "Halas brainwashes you so much you don't want to play with anybody else; it's like playing for the New York Yankees." Bishop later became team captain of the inaugural Minnesota Vikings in 1961.
In the early 1970s, he coached the Winfield Giants Pop Warner team in Winfield, Illinois.