Rocket Ismail

Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, born on November 18, 1969, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, first gained national attention as a receiver for the University of Notre Dame. During his college career from 1988 to 1990, the Fighting Irish achieved significant success, including winning the College Football National Championship in 1988. Ismail was a two-time All-American, named a Unanimous All-American in 1990, and received the Walter Camp Award that same year. He was also featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice. In 1990, he finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. Known for his exceptional speed, he also competed in track and field, achieving a personal best of 10.2 seconds in the 100 meters.

Ismail’s professional career began in 1991 when he signed a record contract with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL), despite being projected as the first overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft. He made an immediate impact, returning a kickoff for an 87-yard touchdown in his rookie season and earning the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player award as the Argonauts won the 79th Grey Cup. After two seasons in the CFL, Ismail moved to the National Football League (NFL) in 1993, joining the Los Angeles Raiders, who had drafted him in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft to retain his rights.

His NFL career spanned from 1993 to 2001, playing for the Raiders, Carolina Panthers, and Dallas Cowboys. While his initial seasons with the Raiders had moderate production, he had a breakout year in 1998 with the Carolina Panthers, recording 69 receptions for 1,024 yards and eight touchdowns. Ismail continued his strong performance with the Dallas Cowboys, achieving a career-high 1,097 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 1999. He concluded his NFL career in 2001, accumulating 363 receptions for 5,295 yards and 28 touchdowns across 126 games. Following his retirement in 2003, Ismail became an inspirational speaker and has made various media appearances.