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Qadry Ismail
Sport: Football
Born: November 8, 1970
Town: Newark
Qadry Ramadian Ismail was born November 8, 1970 in Newark to Fat’ma and Ibrahim Ismail. Qadry his older brother, Raghib, and their young brother Sulaiman, moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1982 to live with their 77-year-old grandmother following the death of their father. There the boys became track and football stars at E.L. Meyers High School, specializing in hurdles and sprints. Qadry was a bit taller and more powerfully built than Raghib. He was nearly unbeatable in the hurdles and, in 1988, was ranked the #1 high-school hurdler in the nation and the Pennsylvania prep athlete of the year. He led the Mohawks to state track championships in 1987 and 1988.
Qadry was a quarterback, fullback, receiver and defensive back, while Raghib, the team’s star, played tailback, racking up 4,000-plus yards. Raghib was nicknamed “Rocket” and Qadry was “Missile.” Sulaiman, who was several years younger but also became a prep football star, was nicknamed “Bomb.”
The Ismail brothers both graduated I 1988. Raghib went on to star for Notre Dame and was Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1990. Qadry accepted a scholarship to Syracuse, where he was an All-American in football (as a kick returner) and track (in the indoor 55-meter and outdoor 110-meter hurdles)—the first two-sport All-American for the school since Jim Brown. In 1991 and 1992, Qadry was an All-Big East pick as a receiver.
The Minnesota Vikings selected Qadry in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft. That same year, Raghib played his first NFL season after two seasons in the Canadian Football League. Qadry was the team’s primary kickoff returner for four years, and also scored a dozen touchdowns on 118 pass receptions. After stints with the Packers, Dolphins and Saints, Qadry signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 1999 and led the club with 68 receptions for a career-best 1,105 yards. In 2000, he was again among the team’s leading receivers and caught a 47-yard pass against the Giants during the Ravens’ Super Bowl XXXV victory. In 2001, his third and final season with the Ravens, he caught a team-high 74 passes and topped 1,000 receiving yards again.
Qadry played his final NFL season in 2002 with the Colts. He started 14 games and caught 44 passes. His three touchdowns that season gave him 33 for his career. He returned to Maryland, where he opened a performance training business, Missile Training, and joined the Ravens’ radio broadcast team. Qadry also coached a local high-school track team. His daughter Qalea played basketball at Princeton, his son Qadry Jr. was a receiver in high school, and his son Qadir played football for Villanova.
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