By Stampeders.com Staff

First it was Cordarro Law. Then it was Shawn Lemon. This season, it’s been Freddie Bishop III.

The veteran out of Western Michigan is the third player in three years to bookend the Stamps’ defensive line opposite all-star Charleston Hughes. He’s been patiently waiting to win the starting defensive end job since signing with the Stamps in July 2013.

That year, Law ranked third in the CFL in sacks when he notched 14 in the 15 games he played. At season’s end, the free agent signed with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers, for whom he still plays today as an outside linebacker.

Enter Shawn Lemon. Coming off a successful 2012 campaign with the Edmonton Eskimos, Lemon was forced to wait in the wings for a season as a backup to Law. When he finally got his turn, the Akron product led the Stamps in 2014 with 13 sacks and tied a CFL record with eight forced fumbles. His impressive play sparked interest from down south and Lemon signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the off-season. He has since returned to the CFL, signing with the Ottawa RedBlacks in September.

Coming into training camp this season, the Stampeders were back to finding a replacement on the edge yet again. After competing with a deep talent pool, Bishop won the starting job out of camp and has started 15 games so far this season.

“He’s playing well,” says defensive line coach DeVone Claybrooks. “He just needs to get more consistent in what we want. I’m very proud of him. I think the sky’s the limit and he’ll only get better.”

Bishop currently leads the team with 11 sacks, which also ties him for second in the league. He’s added a forced fumble, a knockdown and 41 tackles including a team-high four tackles for a loss of 13 yards.

He had a mid-season sack streak of six games and is coming off a two-sack game against the Argonauts, his second of the season.

Calgary boasts the only tandem in the CFL to have double-digits in quarterback takedowns, with Hughes recording his 10th last weekend. The two defensive ends have teamed up for a total of 21 sacks – more than any other duo in the CFL – helping lead the Stamps to 46 sacks overall which ties Ottawa for tops in the league.

The Stamps seem to be pretty proficient in finding quality pass rushers year after year.

“(John) Murphy does a good job getting us players that fit our scheme and athletic players that can learn what we ask them to do and all three of those kids fall into that mode,” says Claybrooks of Law, Lemon and Bishop. “Freddie’s just the new guy that bided his time, waited, learned the system of what we wanted and expected and he’s been excelling.”