Rocket Ismail

Raghib Ramadian "Rocket" Ismail (born November 18, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver.

Ismail ended his rookie season at the 79th Grey Cup.

He recorded an 87-yard touchdown on a kickoff return and was named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player as his Argonauts defeated the Calgary Stampeders 36–21.

He was also selected by Sports Illustrated to the 85-man roster of its all-20th Century college football team.

Ismail was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and was raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

He attended Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School.

Ismail first came to prominence as a receiver for the University of Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish won the College Football National Championship in 1988, placed second in 1989 by winning the 1990 Orange Bowl against Colorado, and again went to the 1991 Orange Bowl, losing to Colorado 10–9.

In that game, he returned a punt 91 yards for a touchdown that would have won the game for Notre Dame and stopped Colorado from winning a share of the National Championship; however, the play was called back on a clipping penalty sealing the Irish defeat.

During the 1989 regular season game against Michigan, Ismail returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.

He was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice, and received numerous awards, including All-American status.

After the 1990 season, Ismail finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy as the top college football player, losing to Brigham Young University quarterback Ty Detmer.

He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before moving on to both the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1991–92 and the National Football League (NFL) from 1993–2001.

Ismail was a consensus All-American with Notre Dame.

He recorded two 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the NFL and was a CFL All-Star in 1991, as well as the Most Valuable Player of the 79th Grey Cup.

The projected first overall selection in the 1991 NFL Draft, Ismail decided at the last minute to sign a record contract with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League starting during their 1991 season.

At the 1991 NCAA Indoor Track Championships, he finished 2nd in the 55-meter sprint.

After Bruce McNall purchased the Toronto Argonauts with hockey player Wayne Gretzky and actor John Candy, the Argonauts made Ismail a groundbreaking offer for a CFL player: $18.2 million over four years.

The average value of his full contract, $4.55 million per season, was more than the anticipated 1991 CFL salary cap of $3.0 million per team.

The CFL had a salary cap in place since 1991, but the rules contained an exemption for a "marquee player" who would not count against the cap.

Doug Flutie of the BC Lions was about to be paid $1 million under the exemption, but Ismail's contract was more than anything North American football had ever seen, as his yearly salary was then the largest in Canadian or American football history.

By comparison, the highest paid NFL player at the time was Joe Montana earning $3.25 million per year.

Ismail joined the Argonauts in time for the 1991 season, and in his first game, returned a kick seventy-three yards on a reverse with Michael Clemons.

He came within fifty yards of breaking his teammate Clemons' franchise record for single-season kickoff return yardage, and made the 1991 All-Star team as a wide receiver, finishing runner-up to Jon Volpe for rookie of the year.

Ismail was going to be selected as the first overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, until he decided to sign with the Toronto Argonauts.

In 1992 Ismail broke Clemons' franchise record for single-season kick return yards.

Ismail was unhappy in Canada as the Argonauts slumped to a 6–12 record, missing the playoffs.

He was also remembered for his participation in a sideline brawl against the Stampeders where he stomped an opposing player's helmeted face.

He later apologized on Speaker's Corner. With the huge contract around Toronto's neck and McNall facing increasing financial trouble, Ismail left the CFL, and, after the season, signed with the Los Angeles Raiders.

In 1993, as a rookie in the National Football League, Ismail recorded 353 receiving yards.

The next year, he recorded 513 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

In 1995, the Raiders' first season back in Oakland, he recorded 491 yards receiving.

On August 25, 1996, after having three disappointing seasons, Ismail was traded to the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round pick (#157-Nick Lopez).

In 1996 the Panthers, under head coach Dom Capers, finished 12–4, but Ismail recorded a career-low 214 yards receiving, without a single touchdown.

In 1997 he recorded 419 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

In 2004, College Football News named Ismail the No. 75 player on its list of the Top 100 Greatest College Football Players of All-Time.

As a result, he was chosen by the Los Angeles Raiders with the 100th overall pick in the draft.

Ismail was also a track star at the University of Notre Dame, where he ran the 100 meters in 10.2 seconds.

He also competed in the 55 meters, with a personal best of 6.07 seconds.

The Los Angeles Raiders selected him in the fourth round (100th overall), to own his rights in case he decided to return to the NFL.