Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 16, 2019 53 Meyers and a Notre Dame graduate. Then one day, Ismail sat with Dwyer and his son (a peer of Ismail) to view "Wake Up The Echoes," the videotape that chronicled Notre Dame's football history. "From his junior year on, before ev- ery big game, he'd come over to view the tape alone," Dwyer said. "My son and I would be over at the stadium getting ready for the game, and Rock would just be by himself and watch the tape." When the grandmother's bout with Alzheimer's began to flare-up by Is- mail's junior year, Mrs. Ismail moved in with the family at Wilkes-Barre. By then, Ismail had already decided his goal was to play for Notre Dame. On his official recruiting trip to Notre Dame, Ismail was entranced when he saw the Golden Dome for the first time while still on the plane. "I think it was a case where I saw 'Wake Up The Echoes' so many times, I almost thought of it as some magic place that can't be real," Ismail said. Unfortunately, while head coach Lou Holtz was enthralled with Ismail's speed, he had some misgivings when he first spotted the 5-10, 166-pound dynamo in person. "You know how when you meet someone and you can tell he's excited to meet you?" Ismail related. "Well, you also know when they're not ex- cited to meet you, or they're disap- pointed. I could see in Coach Holtz's face, even though he was smiling, that he was disappointed because I was so small. "I felt like, 'Oh, man, I just lost my chance to go to Notre Dame!' I was so afraid. I should have worn some lifts in my shoes. But my speed was such a factor that even though I was small, they had to take a chance on me." It was a calculated gamble that re- sulted in Holtz — and Notre Dame — winning the college football lottery. Once the Rocket enrolled, the ignition for Notre Dame's lift-off into the elite stratosphere was no coincidence. Many more happy returns would be welcome. ✦ M A R K E T P L A C E Vintage Notre Dame Memorabilia Augie's Locker Room ND Stadium Items, Jerseys, Helmets, Autographs and One-of-a-Kind Rockne Items. COME INTO THE STORE TO SEE OUR RARE NOTRE DAME HELMET DISPLAY, 1900 - PRESENT!! Voted Best Notre Dame Collectibles in the Country! 1811 South Bend Ave. South Bend , I n 46637 574-277-NDND (6363) www.augieslockerroom.com FACEBOOK.COM/AUGIESLOCKERROOM NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL GAMES on VHS or DVD for sale, from 1928 to present. Contact Peter Rahas at 7700 Golden Filly St., Las Vegas, NV 89131 or call 1-702-395-2974 Call 877-630-8768 to advertise in Blue & Gold Illustrated! Want a prayer published? Call 800-421-7751 Rocket Ismail By The Numbers 1 Career blocked punt by Ismail, which was his first momentum-changing play in the second game of his career when Notre Dame trailed at Michigan State in 1988. He would do other special teams damage later. 2 Players in Notre Dame history who eclipsed 1,000 yards in three different categories — rushing, receiving and returning — with Ismail the first in just three seasons. Theo Riddick (2009-12) was the second, achieving it in four seasons. Including bowl games, Ismail had 1,112 rushing, 1,651 receiv- ing and 1,607 in returns (the latter in just the regular season). 4.28 Recorded time in the 40-yard dash at the 1991 NFL Com- bine. Despite limited track training, he finished second in the 1991 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 55-meter sprint with a 6.17 (0.02 behind the champ). In a separate meet, his 6.07 time was the best in the world that year. 6 Touchdown returns on kickoffs or punts, tied with Tim Brown (1984-87) and Allen Rossum (1994-97) for the most in school history. It was highlighted by two kickoff returns for scores at No. 2 Michigan in 1989 during a 24-19 victory. The Wolverines hadn't allowed a kick return for a score in 32 years. 7.7 Yards per his 131 carries, which would be a school record if only he had the 150 minimum attempts. Notre Dame also does not include bowl games prior to 2002, thereby excluding his Orange Bowl MVP performance in the 21-6 win versus No. 1 Colorado in which he carried 16 times for 108 yards and a score. Reggie Brooks (1989-92) holds the school record at 7.6. 22.0 Average yardage gained on his 71 career catches, which is No. 1 in school history. This likewise does not include bowls, which was highlighted by a 29-yard touchdown in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl win versus West Virginia for the national title. As a freshman, his four catches for 97 yards (24.3 average) versus No. 1 Miami helped set up two touchdowns. 61.7 Average length of score on his 17 career touchdowns, including two in bowls. Had his electrifying 91-yard punt return in the final minute of a 10-9 loss to No. 1 Colorado in the 1991 Orange Bowl not been erased by a debatable penalty, the figure would have been 63.3, and Notre Dame also might have shared the national title that year with Georgia Tech. 268 All-purpose yards accumulated in the 1990 victory versus No. 2 Miami (29-20), highlighted by a 94-yard kickoff return for a score and 100 rushing yards in the fourth quarter as "the closer" in the backfield. An electrifying receiver and return man for the Irish from 1988-90, Ismail was celebrated by Notre Dame during the Virginia Tech game in advance of his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame Dec. 10. PHOTO BY ANDRIS VISOCKIS