The players and coaches could hear the helicopter approach the practice field. A man with a burnt orange shirt leaves the helicopter and is easily recognizable to the people of the field. University of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian shakes hands with Coach Trent Miller before checking in with one of his top recruits.

This is just one day in the life of senior Jermaine Bishop. Playing both sides of the ball, Bishop has spent his high school career garnering attention and breaking records. Now a Dave Campbell 5-star recruit and the week 4 Gullo Ford Player of the Week, Bishop continue to earn accolades. 

Entering his mid-season, Jermaine Bishop, Jr. has now set the record for most receiving yards of all time in the Houston area, even passing up current NFL players like Ceedee Lamb. Even with this extraordinary achievement, this is just the beginning for Bishop. 

“It’s a great milestone to reach but the job is not finished, just wanting to work hard is my true inspiration,” Bishop said. 

With all this record breaking and big titles, Bishop is still a hometown Willis kid and always shows how he bleeds Wildkat purple. From community participation to helping his teammates get better, he is constantly being a leader on and off the field. Many teammates strive to be like him and have the respect that he’s earned. 

“It’s an honor to have a teammate like Jermaine set a record while being on our team,” senior Carter Williams said. “He is doing things that no other athlete could do while playing two ways. It’s crazy that he set a record like the record he set and we might see him break another one. It’s an honor and amazing to see someone like him get this.”

It’s not just the students of Willis that have recognized Bishop’s football talent though, many adults, teachers and coaches in Willis and even across the Houston area have noted that Bishop is something special in the football world, and the future is bright for his career as he brings his talents to the UT Longhorns in Austin next year. 

“It’s special,” Head Coach Trent Miller said. “Great for Jermaine, the program and the entire community. When you have a player that sets the bar as high as he does for himself and his teammates, great things happen.”