Yesterday for day 26 we highlighted the late great Sean Taylor who played for the U. Now today we’ll be highlighting a player who played for one of the U’s biggest rivals.
Raghib Ismail was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and was raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He attended Elmer L. Meyers Junior/ Senior High School in Wilkes-Barre and was recruited heavily by the Irish.
Ismail ran track and played receiver and returner in South Bend. He was one of the most electric returners and players of college football in the 90s.
The Rocket played for the Irish from 1988 to 1990 and played in a total of thirty four games. In 1988 he caught twelve passes going for three hundred and thirty one yards and two touchdowns. He also returned two kicks for touchdowns.
In 1989, Ismail turned into an all purpose player. He caught twenty seven pass that went for five hundred and thirty five yards while also rushing for four hundred and seventy eight yards and two touchdowns.
Once again, Ismail exploded in the return game as he took two kicks and one punt to the crib for touchdowns.
1990 was the Rockets biggest year. He reeled in thirty two balls for six hundred and ninety nine yards and two touchdowns. On the carpet, Ismail carried the ball sixty seven times for five hundred and thirty seven yards and three touchdowns.
In his third season with the Irish, he returned one kick for a touchdown. He was the Heisman trophy runner up, was a Consensus All American, and won the Walter Camp Award.
Ismail would go onto play from 1991 to 1992 in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts and then spent time with the Raiders, Panthers, and Cowboys.
Tomorrow as we inch closer to the college football season kick off, we’ll be highlighting a dynamic back that played for the Georgia Bulldogs.