Syracuse Football has had a long history of success. We look back at some of the best players to play at Syracuse University. Up next: No. 21 Qadry Ismail.
Syracuse football wide receiver Qadry Ismail, a.k.a. “The Missile” was one of the most talented wide receivers to ever play for the Orange. From 1989-1992, Ismail would haunt defenses with his ability to catch the long ball as well as terrorize them on kick returns with his lightning-fast speed. He was a jack of all trades type of player that you could put anywhere on the field and he would produce results.
Though not the traditional star by any means, Ismail really came out of his shell after Coach Mac left for the NFL, and Coach Paul Pasqualoni came in and gave him a fresh start, according to the ChicagoTribune.com. That’s not to say Ismail did not make a contribution to SU his first two years, it was just that he was limited to kick returns which he excelled at.
In 1989, he had 33 kick returns for 738 yards, an average of 22.4 yards, according to Sports-Reference.com. In the following 1990 season, Ismail had 32 returns for 699 yards, an average of 21.8 yards.
However, when Coach Pasqualoni came on the scene he saw Ismail’s immense talent and thus decided to use him at a bunch of different positions. In 1991 and 1992, Ismail still did kick returns, but did so less often. One could argue it was because he was given more responsibilities outside of special teams, but it would actually be truer to say that opposing teams kicked away from him on purpose to prevent him from exposing them on kick returns.
In 1991 he only had 19 kick returns for 475 yards and one touchdown, but for an impressive average of 25.0 yards. In 1992, he had 21 kick returns for only 378 yards, but still averaged 18.0 yards per return.
The good news is that even though Ismail got fewer opportunities on special teams his last two years at Syracuse, he still excelled in spot duties at receiver and running back. In 1991, he had 37 receptions for 693 yards and three touchdowns, for a tremendous average of 18.7 yards per catch! He paired that with 12 rushing attempts for 216 yards and three touchdowns, an average of 18.0 yards per carry!
If you’re doing the math that is 49 plays from scrimmage for a combined 909 yards of offense, and that’s not even including the 475 yards he had on kick returns we mentioned before! In other words, pretty much every time he touched the football something good happened. That’s why he was named to College Football’s All-American team in 1991 as an All-Purpose/Kick-Returner selection, according to AmericanFootballDatabase.com.
His 1992 season was almost as impressive with 36 receptions for 625 yards and two touchdowns, an average of 17.4 yards. He also rushed the ball 22 times for 216 yards and three touchdowns, an average of 9.9 yards per carry. Though those stats were not as impressive as his 1991 season, they are pretty good when you consider he was double-teamed much more and opposing defenses always kept an eye on him as he was the star they had to watch out for every play.
After two great back to back seasons, Ismail would jump to the pros and be selected in the 2nd round of the 1993 NFL Draft with the 52nd selection by the Minnesota Vikings, according to AmericanFootballDatabase.com. In his 10-year NFL career that followed he would go on to be a productive returner and receiver with the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, and the Baltimore Ravens.
Ismail’s best years were spent with the Baltimore Ravens from 1999-2001. During that three-year span, he had two 1,000 yard receiving seasons. In 1999, he led the team with 68 receptions for 1,105 yards and six touchdowns and also had a career-high 258 yards receiving day against the Steelers. In 2000, he only had 49 receptions for 655 yards, according to Pro-FootballReference.com, but would have his crowning moment in Super Bowl XXXV when he caught a 47-yard reception and helped lead the Ravens to win the Lombardi Trophy.
Ismail would then bounce back the year after for his last year in Baltimore in 2001 with 74 receptions for 1,059 yards. He would spend his last year in the NFL in 2002 with the Indianapolis Colts. He would have 44 receptions for 462 yards as their No. 2 receiver.
In his NFL career, he would play in 137 games, have 353 receptions for 5,137 yards (14.6 receptions) and 33 receiving touchdowns. He would also have 189 kick returns for 4,135 yards (21.9 average) in that span as well.
Though Ismail was not a superstar by any stretch in the NFL or at Syracuse, he was very productive wherever coaches played him. His ability to run fast earned him his nickname, “The Missile” and he did not disappoint. As such, he isn’t near the top of our list, but he sure belongs amongst the Top 25 players to ever suit up for Syracuse Football.