The Packers' "Tailgate Tour" made its first stop on a five-day journey, surprising students at Peshtigo Middle/High School with a visit from a group of current and former Packers stars.
"It was a surprise and it definitely felt like that," linebacker Desmond Bishop said.
Bishop, Matt Flynn and Josh Sitton are representing the reining Super Bowl-champion Packers on the tour. Jim Taylor, Forrest Gregg, Antonio Freeman, Dorsey Levens and Gilbert Brown are representing Packers alumni.
About 400 students attended the charity event and were addressed by the players on the importance of teamwork. A question and answer session followed.
Bishop was back in Wisconsin from his home in California. He's looking forward to rejoining his teammates in Green Bay one day.
Bishop became a starter at inside linebacker last season, his fourth season with the Packers since being drafted in the sixth round in 2007. He made the two biggest plays of his career last season, when he intercepted Brett Favre and returned the interception for the eventual game-winning touchdown in the Packers' 28-24 win over the Vikings, and he recovered Rashard Mendenhall's fumble in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. The fumble recovery was the turning point in the Packers' win over the Steelers.
"We have outstanding character. Guys we have on the team showed resilience. We kept fighting. We knew who we were. We knew we were a talented bunch, a strong bunch and when it came down to it we would get the job done," Bishop said as he looked back on last season.
It was a season in which the Packers had to overcome a rash of injuries and then make a late-season dash just to qualify for the postseason. That's when they got hot and rode that hot streak all the way to the Super Bowl XLV title.
"There were a lot of times when things could've gone wrong and in previous years they went wrong, but in that late push things went our way and all you could do is look at each other. It was as if it was our destiny," Bishop said.
Bishop has a week ahead of him of riding a bus up and down and across the region. The "Tailgate Tour's" next scheduled stop is at the Superior Dome at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich.
