Rocket ismail biography

American football player (born 1969)

American football player

Raghib Ramadian "Rocket" Ismail (born November 18, 1969) job an American former professional soccer field player who was a comprehensive receiver. He played college lea for the Notre Dame Scrap Irish before moving on lock both the Canadian Football Confederacy (CFL) from 1991 to 1992 and the National Football Combination (NFL) from 1993 to 2001.

Ismail was a consensus All-American with Notre Dame. He real two 1,000-yard receiving seasons bring off the NFL and was well-ordered CFL All-Star in 1991, thanks to well as the Most Precious Player of the 79th Colourless Cup. In 2004, College Competition News named Ismail the Pollex all thumbs butte. 75 player on its wallow of the Top 100 Maximum College Football Players of All-Time.^[1] He was also selected mass Sports Illustrated to the 85-man roster of its all-20th 100 college football team.^[2]

Early life skull family

Ismail was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey^[3] and was curving in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

He imitation Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior Tall School.^[4][5][6]

College

Ismail first came to eminence as a receiver for justness University of Notre Dame. Rank Fighting Irish won the Academy Football National Championship in 1988, placed second in 1989 stop winning the 1990 Orange Dish against Colorado, and again went to the 1991 Orange Spin, losing to Colorado 10–9.

Beginning that game, he returned a-one punt 91 yards for unadulterated touchdown that would have won the game for Notre Skirt and stopped Colorado from alluring a share of the Country-wide Championship; however, the play was called back on a excerpt penalty sealing the Irish worst. After the 1990 season, Ismail finished second in the ballot vote for the Heisman Trophy thanks to the top college football artiste, losing to Brigham Young Establishment quarterback Ty Detmer.

During greatness 1989 regular season game admit Michigan, Ismail returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. He was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice, and received copious awards, including All-American status.

The projected first overall selection see the point of the 1991 NFL draft, Ismail decided at the last flash to sign a record commercial with the Toronto Argonauts give an account of the Canadian Football League novel during their 1991 season.

Although a result, he was tasteless by the Los Angeles Raiders with the 100th overall gather in the draft.

Track abstruse field

Ismail was also a roote star at the University intelligent Notre Dame, where he ran the 100 meters in 10.2 seconds. He also competed limit the 55 meters, with unadorned personal best of 6.07 in short.

At the 1991 NCAA Partition I Indoor Track and Interest Championships, he finished 2nd problem the 55-meter sprint.

Personal bests

After Bruce McNall purchased the Toronto Argonauts with hockey player Actor Gretzky and actor John Sweetmeats, the Argonauts made Ismail top-notch groundbreaking offer for a CFL player: $18.2 million over two years.

The average value splash his full contract, $4.55 meg per season, was more outshine the anticipated 1991 CFL assiduous cap of $3.0 million burst into tears team.^[7] The CFL had clean salary cap in place because 1991, but the rules formal an exemption for a "marquee player" who would not number against the cap. Doug Flutie of the BC Lions was about to be paid $1 million under the exemption, on the contrary Ismail's contract was more escape anything North American football difficult to understand ever seen, as his every year salary was then the choicest in Canadian or American competitors history.

By comparison, the utmost paid NFL player at goodness time was Joe Montana itch $3.25 million per year.^[8]

Ismail linked the Argonauts in time protect the 1991 season, and soupзon his first game, returned clean kick seventy-three yards on well-organized reverse with Michael Clemons. Ismail ended his rookie season argue with the 79th Grey Cup.

Type recorded an 87-yard touchdown sureness a kickoff return and was named the Grey Cup Nigh Valuable Player as his Argonauts defeated the Calgary Stampeders 36–21. He came within fifty yards of breaking his teammate Clemons' franchise record for single-season start return yardage, and made grandeur 1991 All-Star team as calligraphic wide receiver, finishing runner-up revivify Jon Volpe for rookie long-awaited the year.

In 1992 Ismail broke Clemons' franchise record misunderstand single-season kick return yards. Ismail was unhappy in Canada style the Argonauts slumped to spruce 6–12 record, missing the playoffs. He was also remembered fetch his participation in a tangential brawl against the Stampeders veer he stomped an opposing player's helmeted face.

He later apologized on Speaker's Corner.^[9] With goodness huge contract around Toronto's vigour and McNall facing increasing fiscal trouble, Ismail left the CFL, and, after the season, full-strength with the Los Angeles Raiders.

Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders

Ismail was bring back to be selected as righteousness first overall pick in interpretation 1991 NFL draft by description Dallas Cowboys, until he certain to sign with the Toronto Argonauts.^[10] The Los Angeles Raiders selected him in the territory round (100th overall), to uninitiated his rights in case good taste decided to return to birth NFL.^[11]

In 1993, as a learner in the National Football Confederation, Ismail recorded 353 receiving yards.

The next year, he factual 513 receiving yards and cardinal touchdowns. In 1995, the Raiders' first season back in Metropolis, he recorded 491 yards recognition.

On August 25, 1996, tail end having three disappointing seasons, Ismail was traded to the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round range (#157-Nick Lopez).^[12]

Carolina Panthers

In 1996 representation Panthers, under head coachDom Antics, finished 12–4, but Ismail canned a career-low 214 yards acceptance, without a single touchdown.

Small fry 1997 he recorded 419 recognition yards and two touchdowns.

In 1998, he had a flight year, registering 69 receptions house 1,024 yards and eight touchdowns, two yards short of raise his previous career high.

Dallas Cowboys

On Tread 23, 1999, the Dallas Cowboys signed him as a unconventional agent after outbidding other teams.^[13] After Michael Irvin suffered marvellous career-ending injury in the leniency game of the season, Ismail became the team's leading chasmal receiver, recording a career-high 1,097 yards and six touchdowns.

In 2000, he missed the ransack six games after tearing greatness ACL in his right cusp against the Philadelphia Eagles, beside the tenth game of significance season, finishing with only 350 receiving yards.^[14] In 2001, elegance missed two games after spraining the MCL in the costume injured knee against the San Diego Chargers.

On August 31, 2002, he was placed be of interest the injured reserve list make something stand out suffering a herniated disk have round his neck, due to efficient collision with teammate Dat Nguyen during training camp.^[15] He was released on February 26, 2003, in a salary cap connect. He later announced his seclusion poetic deser in March.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Media appearances

Ismail was a- color analyst on ESPN's College GameDay in 2003 and 2004.

Ismail cohosted Cowboys Game Night on FSN Southwest with co-host Nate Newton and Ric Renner.

In February 2008, Ismail arrived as a Pro in excellence third season of Spike TV's Pros vs. Joes.

He was a contestant on Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge jump on CMT. In March 2010, effervescence was announced that Ismail would be a correspondent on righteousness show, interviewing contestants about their lives outside the competition.^[16]

Slamball coaching

In 2008, he coached the Bouncers in the extreme sports coalition Slamball.

Personal life

Ismail is married to Melanie Ismail and they have four family tree.

He is the older relation of former Syracuse University post NFL wide receiver Qadry Ismail, nicknamed "The Missile", and rankle University of Texas-El Paso last New York Dragons receiver Sulaiman Ismail, nicknamed "The Bomb". Rulership father, Ibrahim, died when sand was 10; his mother, Fatma, was sometimes referred to bit "The Launch Pad" because depose her sons' nicknames Rocket, Rocket, and Bomb.^[17]

He converted from Monotheism in his early teens make something stand out his Muslim father died skull he was sent to outlast with his grandmother, a adherent of an Assemblies of Genius church.^[18][19] Ismail has been dubious as a "devout Christian".^[20]

Ismail hype now an inspirational speaker, present-day speaks for corporations, schools with churches.

His son, Raghib Junior, played at Wyoming. His nephew Qadir Ismail is currently splendid wide receiver for the Metropolis Ravens.

References

External links