Blaine Bishop Not Moved Podcast interview on Steve McNair

The Blaine Bishop Not Moved Podcast interview covered why Bishop considers Steve McNair perhaps the toughest teammate he ever had, why he now sees the Houston Texans as the Tennessee Titans’ most personal rival, and why he doubts Houston will regain the Houston Oilers’ colors. Bishop also discussed playing safety through injuries and the path behind his memoir, Counted Out.

What did Blaine Bishop say about playing safety under today’s NFL rules?

Blaine Bishop said he would have to adjust his tackling to play safety under today’s National Football League rules, even though he considered his hits fair when he played. He also said the move from cornerback and nickel to safety demanded more physical durability, while his coverage assignments required more versatility than fans might have noticed.

Changing a hard-hitting style

Bishop joked that he would want the Titans to pay his fines if he played now. More seriously, he said he would have to be careful about where he placed his head and shoulder when approaching a player who could not see him coming. A hit he made in his playing days, he acknowledged, might draw a penalty now. He described the current approach as safer.

He recalled possibly being penalized once on a play involving a quarterback, but said he did not set out to do anything illegal. Bishop credited older players with teaching him how to play physically and said that influence helped earn him the nickname Hitman.

Moving from cornerback to safety

Injuries opened the way for Bishop’s move from cornerback and nickel to safety. Because he understood the defense, he initially expected the change to be temporary; it became permanent. He had to add weight for the more physical position and described playing with a cast, a broken thumb and pins in a finger. Those demands sat alongside man-to-man assignments against slot receivers, tight ends and running backs, as well as work deep, in the box and on blitzes.

What did Blaine Bishop say about the Tennessee Titans defense?

Blaine Bishop said the Titans’ defense was a blue-collar group that relied on its play rather than talking about opponents. He felt the unit did not receive enough recognition when the Baltimore Ravens defense drew attention, despite the Titans ranking first in a number of categories that season.

That identity extended beyond the hits fans saw. Bishop said the players respected opponents and preferred to show their strength during games. His view was that teams understood how physical the contest had been once they had finished playing Tennessee.

He considered the Titans one of the league’s best defenses as a collective group that year. His description emphasized the work shared across the unit rather than treating its reputation as the product of one hard hitter.

What did Blaine Bishop say about Steve McNair’s toughness?

Blaine Bishop said Steve McNair was probably the toughest teammate he ever played with, even on a roster that included Eddie George. What impressed Bishop most was McNair’s ability to remain confident through a difficult game and still tell the defense he could lead a winning drive.

Bishop remembered McNair coming to the defensive players after struggling and telling them he had figured out the opponent. Bishop said that when McNair made that declaration, he followed it with a drive for a touchdown or field goal to win. To Bishop, the combination of confidence and results set the quarterback apart.

McNair’s availability also surprised his teammates. Bishop recalled weeks when McNair did not practice or even throw during the week, leaving players to expect veteran backup Neil O’Donnell to start. He said that happened repeatedly during the season the Titans went to the Super Bowl, yet McNair played.

Which team does Blaine Bishop consider the Titans’ biggest rival?

Blaine Bishop said the Titans’ most personal rival today is the Houston Texans because the Titans franchise moved from Houston to Nashville. His answer changed across eras: the Pittsburgh Steelers were the team to overcome when he entered the league, and the Baltimore Ravens later filled that role.

The Steelers and Ravens

Early in Bishop’s career, Pittsburgh was the established opponent he measured his team against. He said the focus shifted to Baltimore as the Ravens became a leading team. In his view, a team shapes its roster and approach around beating whoever is at the top.

Divisional changes eventually separated the Titans from those opponents. The question put to Bishop also named the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he chose the Steelers and Ravens when describing how the rivalry changed during his career.

The Texans and the move from Houston

For the present day, Bishop chose Houston. The connection is rooted in the franchise’s history: Bishop was drafted by the Houston Oilers, stayed through the Tennessee Oilers name and played for the Tennessee Titans. The Texans later became Houston’s NFL team, giving the matchup a personal dimension for him beyond the standings.

What did Blaine Bishop say about Houston Oilers uniforms and colors?

Blaine Bishop said he likes the return of Houston Oilers colors to Titans branding, particularly the baby blue that fans responded to on throwback days. He also said the Titans’ ownership holds the Oilers’ records and colors, which is why he doubts Houston will get that part of the former franchise’s identity back.

From the Tennessee Oilers to the Titans

Bishop recalled that when the franchise first moved, fans wanted their own team identity rather than simply retaining the old colors. It became the Tennessee Oilers before taking the Tennessee Titans name, with different imagery and branding. He understands why fans wanted that separation at the time.

Later, he said, throwback games showed how much people liked the Oilers’ baby blue. Bishop called the color distinctive in the NFL and sees its return as both a response to fans and a business decision that creates opportunities for jersey and helmet sales. He also connected the branding change to the team’s planned new stadium.

The dispute over the Oilers identity

Discussing objections from Texans fans, Bishop said Mr. Adams and, subsequently, his daughter Miss Amy held the rights to the Houston Oilers’ records, colors and brand. He did not expect those rights to return to Houston. He suggested the ownership situation reflected lessons learned from what happened when Cleveland lost its team.

Why did Blaine Bishop write Counted Out?

Blaine Bishop said he wrote Counted Out to explain how he reached the NFL despite lacking a Division I scholarship and entering as the 214th pick. The memoir covers the pride, perseverance, discipline and faith he drew on, along with failures and the people who kept believing in him.

He described a group of supporters who pushed him to keep working and improving when others discounted his chances. Rather than present his draft position as the whole story, Bishop wanted readers to understand what it took for him to get to the league.

Bishop summed up the idea behind the book in his own words:

people can say what they want to say but you get to always tell your story and get to determine how it ends

For Bishop, the title reflects his refusal to let someone else’s assessment decide the outcome. He said the memoir is available on Amazon.

Who is Blaine Bishop?

Blaine Bishop is a former professional football safety who played ten NFL seasons. Drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1993, he remained with the franchise as it became the Tennessee Oilers and then the Tennessee Titans. After his playing career, he worked as a sports broadcaster in the Nashville area and is represented by the NFL Alumni Association.