Rocket Ready to Blast Off
by: Frank Vitovitch
August 22, 1999

Former Notre Dame football players who are currently employed are using their brains in making moves to different teams. Some former Golden Domers have put themselves in good positions to have career years in 99 most notably Raghib "the Rocket" Ismail.

The Rocket was with out a doubt the most electrifying athlete to probably ever step on the field in South Bend, Indiana, but has failed to provide the same impact in the NFL. When he came out of Notre Dame in 1991, he was slated to be the #1 pick in the draft (a spot held by the Dallas Cowboys), but the Rocket "flew" to Canada and played 2 seasons in the CFL. In two seasons with the Toronto Arganauts, he caught 100 passes for a total of 1,951 yards and 13 TDs. His rookie stats were however much more impressive than his sophomore ones, 1,300 yards on 64 receptions with 9 TDs, opposed to 36 receptions and 651 yards with 4 TDs.

It only took him 2 seasons to realize that the CFL was not the place to be, and he signed with the Raiders in '93. Raghib didn't exactly set the world on fire in Oakland only totaling only 136 receptions in his first 5 seasons and only 1,990 yards, and average of 27.2 receptions and 398 yards a season. In two seasons in the CFL, Raghib collected 100 passes for 1,951 yards, it took him almost five seasons to duplicate that number in the NFL.

Raghib had his break out party in '98 though. He caught 69 passes for 1,024 yards. In one season, he recorded 1/2 the yards and receptions he had in the previous five seasons. What was the cause for the break out? A number of factors. For the first time in his career he was the go to guy. In Oakland, the Raiders had Tim Brown and a host of other guys to play at the #2 spot, most notably James Jett.

During his first two seasons in Carolina, the Panthers used him as a #3 guy. The likes of Mark Carrier, Wesley Walls, Willie Green, and Rae Carruth took center stage in Carolina as Raghib waited his turn from the sideline. But in 98, Carrier and Green were gone and Raghib got his chance, and he grabbed it.

If you look on the back of his 1999 Topps football card you will see that of his 8 TDs in 98, a career high, 6 came against the playoff teams of Green Bay, San Francisco, Dallas, and Atlanta. Nothing changed from his days at Notre Dame when he seemed to turn it up at the right time, remember the 90 Michigan Game when he had the 2 kick returns?

He is out of Carolina now. Remember how I earlier mentioned the Cowboys had the #1 pick the year he decided to go to the CFL instead of the NFL? Well, its kind of ironic that 8 years later, he is in Dallas playing opposite of Michael Irvin. Why do I think he will have a better season in 99 than he did in 98 when he was the #1 WR? Many reasons. First off, he will have Troy Aikman throwing him the ball. Now, you gotta love former Golden Domer Steve Beuerlein, but he is no Aikman. In Oakland he had a cast of qb's throwing him the ball, but no one who can be called a franchise player like Aikman.

Secondly, he will be playing opposite of Michael Irvin. Last year he would draw the opposition's #1 CB, but now he will be covered one on one most of the time, as Irvin will draw double teams and most of the attention. With man to man coverage, the Rocket should be able to torch opposition for long plays often.

He will also have Emmitt Smith running the ball, keeping the defense honest. Last season, Fred Lane and his electric worm did his best, but he can't compare to an Emmitt Smith type of back. With Emmitt drawing a lot of attention, it will just increase the ability of Raghib to open.

Overall, the Rocket is primed for an even bigger season in 99 than he had in 98. He has been slowed in camp by some minor injuries but will be ready for week one. He has never lost his big play potential and should continue to improve. He will turn 30 in November and is finally playing to his potential. He still has a lot of time in him and will eventually become the go to guy in Dallas as Michael Irvin continues to age. The Rocket will blast off in September 12, 1999 @ 1 PM EST when the Cowboys visit the Washington Redskins.