HOLY CRAP ... the throw at 5:15 is from the 25 yard line to the opposing 20 yard line. 55 yards and the ball has virtually no arc. That is the craziest lazer beam I have ever seen!
THE GREATEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER EVER...Reggie Bush wish he had the talent that Rocket Ismail had Reggie Bush may have won the Heisman Trophy a feat that the Rocket was ROBBED of (cough cough Ty Detmer)...I only wish if that the Rocket NEVER went to the CFL The Dallas Cowboys had the #1 pick that year & Jimmy Johnson was ready to draft him then next thing i know Wayne Gretzky & John Candy YES Actor John Candy R.I.P. Brought him to the CFL & missed a chance to have won 2 Super Bowl Rings...
i'm from Toronto so i'm glad he got us a GREY CUP.....he was something else. And of coarse he had a punt return for a TD in the Grey Cup, his rookie year. clasy guy too.
Oh god, all these fucking rules. Too many fucking lawyers in this world. I loved watching this vid every fall before football season starts and now it's ruined.
He should have won it anyway his junior year....you kidding me, Ty Detmer?? Anyone could have done what he did against the scrubs he played....Rocket was returning kick offs against Michigan, Miami, etc.....
Man I hated Notre Dame but watching the Rocket back in the day was amazing! He gets all my respect. He had amazing Football speed along with Track Speed. 4.18 in the 40 yard dash and you can actually see it when he ran!
As much as I can't stand Notre Dame, The Rocket was my favorite player growing up along with Charlie Ward... Matter of fact, before I got moved to QB, I played WR, and I wore #25 in honor of the "Rocket"...
"The Rocket" >> Reggie Bush, Percy Harvin, and Maclin
timmy brown was the better pure WR and Rocket was more dangerous all around.
I will say this for T Brown...he languished for 2 years under Gerry Faust and if he had the talent on his teams that Rocket did he prolly would have been even better which is saying a lot because he won the Heisman.
He was the most exciting player in college football history....he could talk it all the way at anytime. Holtz and his conservative attack so underused this rare athlete. He got robbed by not winning the Heisman!!!!!
This vid is about Rocket, but how good was Tony Rice? Man he was awesome. Don't pay attention to the haters. ND is actually one of the Div. 1 schools that lives up to its commitment to educate student athletes. Other schools like that are the Academies, Duke and Tulane. Most schools just use their athletes.
ok everyone we have argued about rocket and bush all along but in bowl games rocket played alot better, remeber he was mvp of the fiesta bowl, and he won the orange bowl but the refs decided to take it away from notre dame, and reggie bush had an ok game against texas remember his fumble?
Alright.... so at the 5minute mark in this video he decides to run like a deer. I finally got a stop watch. From the time he gets the ball in his hands (which is RIGHT AT THE 20) he runs 80 yards thru defenders and you can see he obviously lets up a lil with about 15 yards to go... and I get 8.6sec. This is not a straight line run, he is in full pads, there are defenders, and he eases up to run an 8.6sec 80 yard dash... FUCK!!!!!!!! No lie, he could have ran 4 flat for a 40 yard dash.
Unfort. The rocket had two of the biggest "shoulda been's " in College Football history. 1. He should have won the Heisman, that was a sham, and pretty much only because the Committee and coaches didnt wanna see back to back ND winners. 2. That colorado clip is ridiculous. Another sham that to this day i dont understand. Imagine had the rocket won the heisman and then had the greatest play in CF history (greatest play that was stolen away)....
... nevermind, it was against Pitt.... still, FASTER THAN ALL GET OUT! Nice debate you guys have about Bush and him. I am a Michigan fan and I respect what Notre Dame did in 88' because the schedule was UNREAL... nobody schedules like Notre Dame "USED" TOO. Bush is better athlete & player, Rocket has much better vision and PURE speed!
Brown won the Heisman in 1987, so that had nothing to do with Rocket getting jobbed out of the Heisman. It had everything to do with stats. Detmer had them because the offense featured him and ND's offense was so good and so loaded they did not feature Ismail in any one phase of the game. He was the best player in the game though, and I think that he only times that he winner of the Maxwell Trophy did not win the Heisman was when Rocket won it in 1990 and Brady Quinn won it in 2006.
you know you're fast when a guy has a serious angle on you and you still get by him, that's how fast the rocket was, these were some of the best years of football as an ND fan
with a running start from the Pitt 40 to ND end zone he covered 60 yards in 5.8 sec with full gear, a ball in hand, not running in a straight line while slowing down in the end. BTW the world record for 60 yards and 55 meters is 6 seconds flat, Rocket ran a PB of 6.07 with minimal track training. 1 of the most explosive human being that ever grace the football field and track cleats.
@neel25 not at all true... the majority watch football.. but its not necerssarily more important. im from philly... and after the flyersss came back 3 games to none.. and cam eback last night whilke down three goals to none... hockey runs this town right now.. it al depends.. if your teams doing good.. then they are important...
@neel25@neel25 not at all true... the majority watch football.. but its not necerssarily more important. im from philly... and after the flyersss came back 3 games to none.. and cam eback last night whilke down three goals to none... hockey runs this town right now.. it al depends.. if your teams doing good.. then they are important...
You should learn how to construct a thought in sentence form, so people can understand you. Oh, and you're incorrect, this would in fact be the real "Rocket".
Yes, I'm a Maize and Blue fan, but this football player was hands down THE BEST college player during the time he was at Notre Dame. Amazing speed, I was in Jr. High school and clearly remeber this guy, he was an amazing athlete...THE ROCKET! What ever happened to his brother Quadry, THE MISSLE?
@ 4:57 against Pitt with a running start he covered 60 yards from ND 40 to the Pitt endzone in an eye-popping 5.7-5.8 seconds, unbeleivable world-class speed.
It almost loks like he is 75% faster than everybody who is chasing him,it's awesome.
Anyways I do play recreational football but I don't know exactly a ton about the terms and stuff....can somebody explain what " he ran 4.16 in the 40 in full pads at ND " means?
It means he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.16 seconds. An extremely fast 40 time is 4.3 and that is usually done on a track in favorable conditions with no pads and track shoes. So he ran in full football gear faster than most people.
man oh man. i told my parents to tape the game. and i said tell me if they win but don't tell me if they lose, i was in 1st grade. i watched that game, 10-9. long live the rocket.
rockets stride is incredible, beautiful display of athleticism. That guy was 100 percent fast twitch muscle fiber. awesome ND videos neel25. they are GREAT, BRO. THANKS
I so loved watching him. One of the most amazing college players to watch ever. Wikepedia said he once ran a 4.16 in the 40 in full pads at ND...AMAZING!
Me and my older brother got to meet him in Portland Oregon during a Canadian football leauge exhibition game. My brother was a huge Notre Dame fan and I was in about second grade. We stopped him on the way to the locker room andhe signed my brothers ND hat, it was awsome, total cream dream for a kid to meet his idol. Rocket was super nice and a class act, he could have been a barry sanders no problem.
Hell no way Ginn is faster than Ismail not on the track at least. He has the fastest recorded 55 meter dash time of any football player in history @ 6.07 sec, unbeaten in 20+ consecutive heats(he has beaten the likes of John Drummond, James Jett, James Trapp, Michael Bates) all but the 1991 indoor NCAA track championships where he placed in second @6.19 after clocking a world leading time of 6.13 in the earlier heats.
Man I'm realy impressed with the run against Pittsburgh, he covered 60 yards from a running start @ the NDame 40 to the end zone in 5.7-5.8 seconds, fvckin incredible display of world class speed, this with pads, helmet, ball in hands and decelerating the last 15 yards or so, might just be the fastest player that ever wore a full football equipment.
the plays at around 2:32 & 5:00 are truly breathtaking. i dont think anyones had that kind of speed relative to his opponents since red grange. we may not see something like him again.
Just like JoePa said. He is a top 3 college football player ever. He was amazing. I was at the 89 National Championship game and that square in was awesome. He burnt that BD like no other just toyed with him. His highlights give me the chills everytime. He is the best player to wear that ND uniform in my 30 years and maybe ever. Cant wait till Sept. 1st. GO IRISH baby
Few things...Rocket was blazing fast..but hands down ...the fastest man to have played pro football was likely Darrell Green. He had the fastest time in the world when he was in college and every tiem he was challenged he won (NFL fastest man PLUS Worlds Fastest Athlete comp). Rocket would be in the fight ho
at the 5 min mark is great, but at the 6:40 mark against Tenn. is just as impressive, I dont think ive ever seen anyone with that type of acceleration, he honestly couldve been a world class sprinter
man he was truly special in college, the irish havent had his speed and playmaking ability ever since he left, i dont think there was ever a returner like him
@ 5 minutes into the video with a running start he approximately covered 70 yards(ND 30 to the end zone line) in 7 seconds flat while decelerating from 20 yards out, insane display of world class speed.
Yup, rocket was amongst the fastest track athletes in 1989-1991, he rarely trained for track instead used it as a vehicle for football. He almost exclusively ran indoors as a part-time track athlete posting PB times of 6.07 in 55 meter dash and 5.65? 50 meters and 6.50?(unconfirmed) 60 meter dash, he was the no.1 ranked indoor sprinter in 1991.
I love that return against Miami. You just know that it knocked the wind out of their swagger for a while. Those end arounds are amazing to watch and those 5 to 10 yard screens are spectacular. I would have loved to have taken one lap on a track or field with an ounce of his ability just once in my career. long live The Rocket.
yeah he did play for the cowboys for three years, he also played for the raiders and panthers and in the CFL for toronto. and he is looking to make a comeback to the nfl
I saw him play in high school....he played for Meyers high school in Wilkes-Barre Pa...He was a RB then....he was awesome...He is a legend around here
Rocket simply put had this SICK acceleration to him and I mean freaking sick.....if he got the corner on u, ur freaking day was ruined....unbeleivable....
Ummmmmm... NO! Ted Ginn is a bigger threat to score than Emmit Smith ever was. So you think Ginn is a better player too, huh? Coming from the guy who said Rocket won the Heisman........
How so? The only people saying that he is without a doubt hands down better than Bush all have Notre Dame something or other in their name..... Rocket is a better athlete, but Bush is a better football player.
rocket didnt even touch the ball as much as reggie bush, he never really had a great qb, bush had a heisman winner play with him as well as white,smith and jarrett so you couldnt key on him. plus they played in the pac ten. a wannabe conference. rocket played against great teams, better competition.
Lol. Rice was a Unitas award winner, All American, and finished 4th in Heisman voting. And the Pac 10 is at worst the 3rd best conference in football...... Quit talking about things you dont know.
The competition level was virtually even. USC was ranked in the top 25 for strength of schedule all 3 of Bush's years. Rocket lost 4 games, and Bush lost 2. You obviously DONT know football.
Notre Dame had a beast of a schedule in 1988, no denying that. 1989 was a tough schedule too, and 1990 was nothing to write home about, though Notre Dame played great in the big games. So basically Notre Dame's schedule was a little tougher than USC's, you are correct. So a slightly tougher schedule = slightly weaker numbers. I can buy that. Still doesnt take away from the fact that Bush was a better college football player
@2:24 how'd they give him the TD- ran into his own guy, the ref, and it looked like he was down at the 2
irishfan84 8 months ago
at :50 he started slowing down at the 10 with two or three defenders near him
irishfan84 8 months ago
Dog...Reggie who?
DHpop072393 9 months ago
If that was a clip against Colorado, I am George Clooney.
30HCP 11 months ago
HOLY CRAP ... the throw at 5:15 is from the 25 yard line to the opposing 20 yard line. 55 yards and the ball has virtually no arc. That is the craziest lazer beam I have ever seen!
qzbikowski 11 months ago
What a view at 1:48!
MullyFilm 1 year ago
I loved the ROCKET
coachfb18 1 year ago
Some people have track speed and some people have football speed. On the football field the Rocket was the fastest player in pads I ever saw.
chiladin 1 year ago
damn i miss those days....sob....
kimo1371 1 year ago
the percy harvin before percy's time in college
tanelious280 1 year ago
er ist verdammt gut, warum er in isnt Pro Football
crf150baker 1 year ago
reggie bush is similar to him,
but the rocket beats reggie by
a big margin
tuliau61 2 years ago
The Rocket could turn the corner like no other.Loved watching this dude run back in the days!
dbl619 2 years ago
THE GREATEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER EVER...Reggie Bush wish he had the talent that Rocket Ismail had Reggie Bush may have won the Heisman Trophy a feat that the Rocket was ROBBED of (cough cough Ty Detmer)...I only wish if that the Rocket NEVER went to the CFL The Dallas Cowboys had the #1 pick that year & Jimmy Johnson was ready to draft him then next thing i know Wayne Gretzky & John Candy YES Actor John Candy R.I.P. Brought him to the CFL & missed a chance to have won 2 Super Bowl Rings...
RICHIEMAN602 2 years ago
Jimmy Johnson would never have drafted an ND player no matter how great the Rocket was
tangwich1 2 years ago
i'm from Toronto so i'm glad he got us a GREY CUP.....he was something else. And of coarse he had a punt return for a TD in the Grey Cup, his rookie year. clasy guy too.
quincee33 2 years ago
Oh god, all these fucking rules. Too many fucking lawyers in this world. I loved watching this vid every fall before football season starts and now it's ruined.
kmfiz 2 years ago
I miss the damn music! Cut us some slack.
peterboy48 2 years ago 2
Agreed. 'Clocks' was perfect.....got it on playlist so I just cued it up. :/
arrowguy173 2 years ago
Rocket would have won the Heisman Trophy if he had stayed for his senior year.
RollingAmbitions 2 years ago
He should have won it anyway his junior year....you kidding me, Ty Detmer?? Anyone could have done what he did against the scrubs he played....Rocket was returning kick offs against Michigan, Miami, etc.....
domlikespvc 2 years ago
Ismail vs Desmond Howard woulda been cool.
muffinluveruuu 2 years ago
The Rocket a true legend
MrTucker001 2 years ago
Man I hated Notre Dame but watching the Rocket back in the day was amazing! He gets all my respect. He had amazing Football speed along with Track Speed. 4.18 in the 40 yard dash and you can actually see it when he ran!
BreuckelensFinest 2 years ago
One of the greatest under used weapons in college football history!
eddie8270 2 years ago
One of the best highlights reel tapes ive seen. Great post.
thedukel 3 years ago 5
As much as I can't stand Notre Dame, The Rocket was my favorite player growing up along with Charlie Ward... Matter of fact, before I got moved to QB, I played WR, and I wore #25 in honor of the "Rocket"...
"The Rocket" >> Reggie Bush, Percy Harvin, and Maclin
PootieTang05 3 years ago 2
yea but you were slow as hell!! lOL
amun1999 2 years ago
Get off my dick... Damn.
PootieTang05 2 years ago
Who is the best receiver/returner in Notre Dame History? Raghib Ismail or Tim Brown.
sportsnut6078 3 years ago
timmy brown was the better pure WR and Rocket was more dangerous all around.
I will say this for T Brown...he languished for 2 years under Gerry Faust and if he had the talent on his teams that Rocket did he prolly would have been even better which is saying a lot because he won the Heisman.
neel25 3 years ago
@sportsnut6078 what about Derrick Mayes?
MMALibrary 1 year ago
@sportsnut6078 I have to say a tie, they were both very good, just like saying who was the best ND QB.
tbh4220 1 year ago
WOW WHAT A TALENT..RARE JUST SPECIAL SPECIAL.
and he's a down to earth family man
vonversace 3 years ago 5
He was the most exciting player in college football history....he could talk it all the way at anytime. Holtz and his conservative attack so underused this rare athlete. He got robbed by not winning the Heisman!!!!!
tomloans33 3 years ago 11
Rocket @ the 6:40 mark is also not human. Bounces outside and still outruns the second level of the defense.
kanabul 3 years ago 7
Rocket @ the 5:00 mark is unreal. Chris Johnson from ECU had some nice breakaway speed. But, Rocket was not human!
kanabul 3 years ago 6
if on the video game devn hester was a 100 speed the rocket would need to be 102
GO IRISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
liljjballin 3 years ago 7
I really appreciate this post ...
33siae 3 years ago 6
This vid is about Rocket, but how good was Tony Rice? Man he was awesome. Don't pay attention to the haters. ND is actually one of the Div. 1 schools that lives up to its commitment to educate student athletes. Other schools like that are the Academies, Duke and Tulane. Most schools just use their athletes.
jnorrett 3 years ago 6
long live the irish
acdcfan789 3 years ago 5
Rocket is the man hes my friends uncle
WBSpensfan5 3 years ago 3
F all you little ND haters. At USC their players are paid. Fight on U$C...
pduran880 3 years ago 4
ok everyone we have argued about rocket and bush all along but in bowl games rocket played alot better, remeber he was mvp of the fiesta bowl, and he won the orange bowl but the refs decided to take it away from notre dame, and reggie bush had an ok game against texas remember his fumble?
hudrock 3 years ago 3
back when notre dame had some substance to go with tradition
zzoltan24 3 years ago
Great player, great song, great video! GO IRISH!
tk0173 3 years ago 2
I agree this is a great video...
yungstrick 3 years ago
I couldn't tell you a thing about football, but this guy is just a pure legend in my eyes, he has a gift and he's an inspiration to me.
props to this vid, you made a great montage, you simply could not make this any better :D
SinlessXCVII 3 years ago
the founder of the "rocket screen"
craines11 3 years ago
Alright.... so at the 5minute mark in this video he decides to run like a deer. I finally got a stop watch. From the time he gets the ball in his hands (which is RIGHT AT THE 20) he runs 80 yards thru defenders and you can see he obviously lets up a lil with about 15 yards to go... and I get 8.6sec. This is not a straight line run, he is in full pads, there are defenders, and he eases up to run an 8.6sec 80 yard dash... FUCK!!!!!!!! No lie, he could have ran 4 flat for a 40 yard dash.
LamarrWoodley56 3 years ago 2
Unfort. The rocket had two of the biggest "shoulda been's " in College Football history. 1. He should have won the Heisman, that was a sham, and pretty much only because the Committee and coaches didnt wanna see back to back ND winners. 2. That colorado clip is ridiculous. Another sham that to this day i dont understand. Imagine had the rocket won the heisman and then had the greatest play in CF history (greatest play that was stolen away)....
Rocket was born clutch, and it was taken away...
Buttersrugby 3 years ago 4
... at 5 minutes against West Virigina..... OMG..... if somebody has a stop watch, get it out... he could have ran the 40 yard dash in 4 flat!
LamarrWoodley56 3 years ago
... nevermind, it was against Pitt.... still, FASTER THAN ALL GET OUT! Nice debate you guys have about Bush and him. I am a Michigan fan and I respect what Notre Dame did in 88' because the schedule was UNREAL... nobody schedules like Notre Dame "USED" TOO. Bush is better athlete & player, Rocket has much better vision and PURE speed!
LamarrWoodley56 3 years ago
Pitt was actually a football program back then.
iaintsorry 3 years ago
Ty Detmer?!
Only reason Raghib didn't win is because Tim Brown won it the year before. You see the difference between a Christian school and public?
Bogusconman 3 years ago
Brown won the Heisman in 1987, so that had nothing to do with Rocket getting jobbed out of the Heisman. It had everything to do with stats. Detmer had them because the offense featured him and ND's offense was so good and so loaded they did not feature Ismail in any one phase of the game. He was the best player in the game though, and I think that he only times that he winner of the Maxwell Trophy did not win the Heisman was when Rocket won it in 1990 and Brady Quinn won it in 2006.
humblephil 3 years ago
Rockets return numbers are twice that of bushes
Zurrixia 3 years ago 2
WTF is wrong with you? Why do ignorant people feel the need to come on here and make up BS they pawn off as fact? You want some facts?
Rocket- 1271 Career return yards
Bush- 1420 career return yards
Rocket- 264 punt return yards in 89 and 90 (cant find yards for 1988)
Bush- 559 Punt return yards
joefutbol1984 3 years ago
Try these facts:
KICKOFFS
Rocket- 1271 yds 46 ret. 27.6 avg. 5 TDs
Bush- 1408 yds. 61 ret. 23.1 avg. 1 TDs
PUNTS
Rocket- 336 yds. 25 ret. 13.4 avg. 1 TDs
Bush- 588 yds. 43 ret. 13.0 avg. 3 TDs
and remember Rocket had to share punt ret. with Ricky Watters.
NOTREDAMERULES 3 years ago 2
can anyone tell me what the name of the first song is i would really appreciate it. thx
dreatx05 3 years ago
"Clocks" by Coldplay
NOTREDAMERULES 3 years ago
you know you're fast when a guy has a serious angle on you and you still get by him, that's how fast the rocket was, these were some of the best years of football as an ND fan
devinesp 3 years ago
Madden made 100 Speed for Devin Hester.
Madden would need to make 110 speed for rocket ismail.
BozGoalie 3 years ago 2
both are great players.
logangee 3 years ago
wow hes fast
jroberts2 3 years ago
with a running start from the Pitt 40 to ND end zone he covered 60 yards in 5.8 sec with full gear, a ball in hand, not running in a straight line while slowing down in the end. BTW the world record for 60 yards and 55 meters is 6 seconds flat, Rocket ran a PB of 6.07 with minimal track training. 1 of the most explosive human being that ever grace the football field and track cleats.
jayron77 3 years ago 4
No one knows how fast the
rocket really was.
He was so fast they couldnt track him.
Also he juked some one so bad it handicaped them for like.
greenguy111 3 years ago
LOL @ the Harvin comment, Percy couldnt hold half of one of Rocket's nuts....
domlikespvc 3 years ago
fastest human man ever
skier7711 3 years ago 2
The most exciting football player in NCAA history!
kalo92 4 years ago
y the hell didnt this guy win heisman?? hes one of the best NCAA players ever.. one of the most explosive also.. GO IRISH!!
ndfan10 4 years ago 3
cuz some fag named ty detmer....haaaaaaaaaa
eightncenterfield 3 years ago 2
who knew mormons were good at quaterback? haaaa
flyersfan10 3 years ago
well i guess they loved ty detmer better.
hudrock 3 years ago
what song is tht?
hoobles1 4 years ago
5:05 HOLY SHIT thats fast
kyson009 4 years ago 2
He reminds me of Percy Harvin. Real quick and they used Rocket like they do Harvin.
AAAmartin6fan 4 years ago
i agree with you on how they use harvin like they did with rocket, but harvin is no where near as special as the rocket was
irishndfan2 4 years ago
get the fuck outta here Percey Harvin is a sorry bitch compared to The Rocket
tmaniac11 3 years ago 3
Too bad ND doesnt have speed like that anymore. I guess only Armondo Allen comes close.
P.S. What is the name of that first song and where did you find the CBS College Football Theme.
GO IRISH
antwon2015 4 years ago
not many teams do have that speed at all...but ND will soon!
Coldplay is the group that performs that song
hankseptember 4 years ago
hes a dallas cowboys always will be
1999 was his year the year of the unfortunate
BIGSK8 4 years ago
yay notre dame!! rocket is fast.
hiimnolanmcp 4 years ago
Bush couldn't hold Rocket's jockstrap.
hoopersgone 4 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
wtf its that just maurice richard can be called the rocket yeah this dude look like good but the rocket it RHICARD
chickenstunts 4 years ago
this is America, football is more important than hockey here
neel25 4 years ago
@neel25 not at all true... the majority watch football.. but its not necerssarily more important. im from philly... and after the flyersss came back 3 games to none.. and cam eback last night whilke down three goals to none... hockey runs this town right now.. it al depends.. if your teams doing good.. then they are important...
boobymiles5890 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@neel25 @neel25 not at all true... the majority watch football.. but its not necerssarily more important. im from philly... and after the flyersss came back 3 games to none.. and cam eback last night whilke down three goals to none... hockey runs this town right now.. it al depends.. if your teams doing good.. then they are important...
boobymiles5890 1 year ago
You should learn how to construct a thought in sentence form, so people can understand you. Oh, and you're incorrect, this would in fact be the real "Rocket".
yohhan2 4 years ago
Rocket Richard came first, wayyyyyyyyy before Ismail. But its 2 different sports so why is there a problem here? Great video nontheless :)
logangee 4 years ago
Can somebody please tell me how the hell Rocket came in second to Ty Detmer in the Heisman voting?
cradmoor 4 years ago 3
This has been flagged as spam show
when you find out let me know
hudrock 3 years ago
didnt he play in the canadian football league?
then he went PRO
i have a Ismail Cowboys jerseys
cuz im from Texas haha
greenguy111 4 years ago
yes,and he immedietly set several CFL records and won 2 championship,i think
hankseptember 4 years ago
too fast. by the way he played for the dallas cowboys. he wasn't too bad in the NFL
hemin1230 4 years ago
Yes, I'm a Maize and Blue fan, but this football player was hands down THE BEST college player during the time he was at Notre Dame. Amazing speed, I was in Jr. High school and clearly remeber this guy, he was an amazing athlete...THE ROCKET! What ever happened to his brother Quadry, THE MISSLE?
Brewhaman 4 years ago
yeah he went pro, i believe he went to canada first and broke many records , then he went to the raiders in the NFL and was a good player.
camargovalentino 4 years ago
@ 4:57 against Pitt with a running start he covered 60 yards from ND 40 to the Pitt endzone in an eye-popping 5.7-5.8 seconds, unbeleivable world-class speed.
jayron77 4 years ago
And that's with him letting off the last 10 or so yards.
kmfiz 4 years ago
He was ranked #1 in the world in the indoor 60 meters in 1991. Beat Carl Lewis in a race too.
TaylorNY88 4 years ago 4
@TaylorNY88 he never ran the 60 meter
neter1999 1 year ago
Reminds me of a certain #23 in Chicago, and I'm not talking about Michael Jordan. God bless Rocket Ismail.
commie311 4 years ago
Friends,
You know it's bad when this old fan has to logon to youtube to feel good about ND football again!
mmarley 4 years ago
What is the second song called?
OstrichEmperor 4 years ago
Walk of Life by Dire Straits
neel25 4 years ago
Thanks.
OstrichEmperor 4 years ago
Another thing...I noticed your account name is "neel25".Is that because Ismail is number 25 and he kneels after he gets a touchdown?
OstrichEmperor 4 years ago
name is neel, because of rocket 25 is my favorite number
neel25 3 years ago
It almost loks like he is 75% faster than everybody who is chasing him,it's awesome.
Anyways I do play recreational football but I don't know exactly a ton about the terms and stuff....can somebody explain what " he ran 4.16 in the 40 in full pads at ND " means?
OstrichEmperor 4 years ago
Actually nevermind about the "running the 40" thing.
OstrichEmperor 4 years ago
It means he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.16 seconds. An extremely fast 40 time is 4.3 and that is usually done on a track in favorable conditions with no pads and track shoes. So he ran in full football gear faster than most people.
victor2775 4 years ago
I met his track coach at ND and The Rocket did have true 4.2 speed...which means he's been recorded at under 4.2
Zurrixia 4 years ago
what was his 40 time?
Tolan04 4 years ago
4.16
neel25 4 years ago
no...the rocket said that his fastest is 4.12...that is what he said ...look it up on youtube
amun1999 1 year ago
man oh man. i told my parents to tape the game. and i said tell me if they win but don't tell me if they lose, i was in 1st grade. i watched that game, 10-9. long live the rocket.
kilcs33 4 years ago
rockets stride is incredible, beautiful display of athleticism. That guy was 100 percent fast twitch muscle fiber. awesome ND videos neel25. they are GREAT, BRO. THANKS
PROJECTTROJANWARRIOR 4 years ago
I so loved watching him. One of the most amazing college players to watch ever. Wikepedia said he once ran a 4.16 in the 40 in full pads at ND...AMAZING!
kmfiz 4 years ago
i think he's faster than forrest gump
jwcarter1 4 years ago 2
i know him and his son
sean10huang 4 years ago
would love to hear if Rocket has seen this! He was my HERO!
neel25 4 years ago
He was my hero too, bro. Great job on the vid.
ctbleeg 4 years ago
Walk of life its the dire straits or mark knopfler im not sure it couldve been knopfler solo but his band was the dire straits
Karl1534 4 years ago
Me and my older brother got to meet him in Portland Oregon during a Canadian football leauge exhibition game. My brother was a huge Notre Dame fan and I was in about second grade. We stopped him on the way to the locker room andhe signed my brothers ND hat, it was awsome, total cream dream for a kid to meet his idol. Rocket was super nice and a class act, he could have been a barry sanders no problem.
budahgee3 4 years ago
dude i know him his son is one of my friends.. he lives in texas
sean10huang 4 years ago
Fuck, just look at that, I got to see a few sprints like that in CFL games!
abortbort 4 years ago
whats the name and artist of the second song
irshguy423 4 years ago
i think ted ginn is faster
hookemfan 4 years ago
not nearly as dangerous. Track speed wise, yes he is faster.
neel25 4 years ago
No he isnt. Rocket ran a 4.24........Ted Ginn wasnt close
weeezerguy812 4 years ago
40 times are bogus, Rocket would obliterate anyone in IAAF sanctioned 50, 55 and 60 meters @ his top sprinting form.
jayron77 4 years ago
Hell no way Ginn is faster than Ismail not on the track at least. He has the fastest recorded 55 meter dash time of any football player in history @ 6.07 sec, unbeaten in 20+ consecutive heats(he has beaten the likes of John Drummond, James Jett, James Trapp, Michael Bates) all but the 1991 indoor NCAA track championships where he placed in second @6.19 after clocking a world leading time of 6.13 in the earlier heats.
jayron77 4 years ago
dude, 100 meters is what measures speed. Ismail was real fast though, precursor to guys like Ginn and Bush
cheapR1 4 years ago
Yeah, according to you. Ginn is a hurdle. Rocket's 100m is faster anyway.
joefutbol1984 4 years ago
unbelievable! way faster than reggie bush. was robbed of the hiesman.
edog59 4 years ago
Great clip. Thanks for this!
JMCALS 4 years ago
Man I'm realy impressed with the run against Pittsburgh, he covered 60 yards from a running start @ the NDame 40 to the end zone in 5.7-5.8 seconds, fvckin incredible display of world class speed, this with pads, helmet, ball in hands and decelerating the last 15 yards or so, might just be the fastest player that ever wore a full football equipment.
jayron77 4 years ago
How could this man not have won the Heisman. He was probably the most explosive Notre Dame player ever.
mspell350 4 years ago
the plays at around 2:32 & 5:00 are truly breathtaking. i dont think anyones had that kind of speed relative to his opponents since red grange. we may not see something like him again.
howardbeasley 4 years ago
Just like JoePa said. He is a top 3 college football player ever. He was amazing. I was at the 89 National Championship game and that square in was awesome. He burnt that BD like no other just toyed with him. His highlights give me the chills everytime. He is the best player to wear that ND uniform in my 30 years and maybe ever. Cant wait till Sept. 1st. GO IRISH baby
irishman10172 4 years ago
Few things...Rocket was blazing fast..but hands down ...the fastest man to have played pro football was likely Darrell Green. He had the fastest time in the world when he was in college and every tiem he was challenged he won (NFL fastest man PLUS Worlds Fastest Athlete comp). Rocket would be in the fight ho
Rocket/Deion/Green/Bullet Bob Hayes
Buttersrugby 4 years ago
cool vid. btw, what's the name of the song on the intro?
cactusjack08 4 years ago
"Clocks" by Coldplay
NOTREDAMERULES 4 years ago
at the 5 min mark is great, but at the 6:40 mark against Tenn. is just as impressive, I dont think ive ever seen anyone with that type of acceleration, he honestly couldve been a world class sprinter
mrjonsey 4 years ago
man he was truly special in college, the irish havent had his speed and playmaking ability ever since he left, i dont think there was ever a returner like him
mrjonsey 4 years ago
I never saw one person make more people look so foolish.
TaylorNY88 4 years ago
@ 5 minutes into the video with a running start he approximately covered 70 yards(ND 30 to the end zone line) in 7 seconds flat while decelerating from 20 yards out, insane display of world class speed.
jayron77 4 years ago
totally agree, his burst against pitt at 5:00 into the clip is unreal, he looks like an olympic sprinter....fantastic to watch
pharry4life 4 years ago
Yup, rocket was amongst the fastest track athletes in 1989-1991, he rarely trained for track instead used it as a vehicle for football. He almost exclusively ran indoors as a part-time track athlete posting PB times of 6.07 in 55 meter dash and 5.65? 50 meters and 6.50?(unconfirmed) 60 meter dash, he was the no.1 ranked indoor sprinter in 1991.
jayron77 4 years ago
No matter who does it, all great punt returns seem to go right up the middle! The best play in football - if refs would chill on the phantom calls!
dwm1812 4 years ago
How about that return against Colorado that was called back? That run was the game winner and the bogus flag still frosts me to this day.
rumncokeII 4 years ago
was there not a rumor he wanted return as a return specialist?
repeat22 4 years ago
I love that return against Miami. You just know that it knocked the wind out of their swagger for a while. Those end arounds are amazing to watch and those 5 to 10 yard screens are spectacular. I would have loved to have taken one lap on a track or field with an ounce of his ability just once in my career. long live The Rocket.
dome1972 4 years ago
yes he played for the cowboys for three years i think. im not sure so don't quote me on that.
jvaughan90 4 years ago
yeah he did play for the cowboys for three years, he also played for the raiders and panthers and in the CFL for toronto. and he is looking to make a comeback to the nfl
Otownchargers60 4 years ago
I wonder what he was like in high school
stalemate360 4 years ago
I saw him play in high school....he played for Meyers high school in Wilkes-Barre Pa...He was a RB then....he was awesome...He is a legend around here
tomloans33 4 years ago
Looks like he's in fast fwd compared to everyone else!
Zurrixia 4 years ago
did the rocket do anything in the nfl
stalemate360 4 years ago
Do you have any Ricky Watters higlights.
86pimp3 4 years ago
yes, will add them soon!
neel25 4 years ago
Someone needs to add some Ray Zellers highlights!
cgolik 4 years ago
ray was awsome
hankseptember 4 years ago
Rocket simply put had this SICK acceleration to him and I mean freaking sick.....if he got the corner on u, ur freaking day was ruined....unbeleivable....
domlikespvc 4 years ago
This legend lost the Heisman to a guy named Ty Detmer.
There is a huge anti-Notre Dame anti-Catholic bias. Thanks for the memories you are a legend Rocket. GO IRISH
mspell350 4 years ago
Bush fumbled in the Texas game
packers63122 4 years ago
He threw a bad pitch, if you wanna count that then fine, theres one. Only other time I remember him fumbling was against FSU.
joefutbol1984 4 years ago
joefutbol i guess detmer deserved the heisman over rocket puhleasse don't go that route.who's more dangerous bush or ismail.dude youre a fool.
imvinnybarbarino 4 years ago
More dangerous? Rocket. Better player? Bush.
joefutbol1984 4 years ago
Um, if he's more dangerous than wouldn't that make him the better player?
NOTREDAMERULES 4 years ago
Ummmmmm... NO! Ted Ginn is a bigger threat to score than Emmit Smith ever was. So you think Ginn is a better player too, huh? Coming from the guy who said Rocket won the Heisman........
joefutbol1984 4 years ago
Rocket had better moves, better hands, and better acceleration. Not to mention he came up huge when it mattered. Why do you think Bush is better?
NOTREDAMERULES 4 years ago
What people failed to realize that The Rocket was used as a running back and a wing back in the Wing T formation. He is better than Bush hands down.
superirishsoul 4 years ago
How so? The only people saying that he is without a doubt hands down better than Bush all have Notre Dame something or other in their name..... Rocket is a better athlete, but Bush is a better football player.
joefutbol1984 4 years ago
rocket didnt even touch the ball as much as reggie bush, he never really had a great qb, bush had a heisman winner play with him as well as white,smith and jarrett so you couldnt key on him. plus they played in the pac ten. a wannabe conference. rocket played against great teams, better competition.
hudrock 3 years ago
Lol. Rice was a Unitas award winner, All American, and finished 4th in Heisman voting. And the Pac 10 is at worst the 3rd best conference in football...... Quit talking about things you dont know.
joefutbol1984 3 years ago
i know football and the rocket played against better competition.
hudrock 3 years ago 3
The competition level was virtually even. USC was ranked in the top 25 for strength of schedule all 3 of Bush's years. Rocket lost 4 games, and Bush lost 2. You obviously DONT know football.
joefutbol1984 3 years ago
you ar right but are you telling me the teams reggie bush played against are better than the ones rocket played against?
hudrock 3 years ago
Notre Dame had a beast of a schedule in 1988, no denying that. 1989 was a tough schedule too, and 1990 was nothing to write home about, though Notre Dame played great in the big games. So basically Notre Dame's schedule was a little tougher than USC's, you are correct. So a slightly tougher schedule = slightly weaker numbers. I can buy that. Still doesnt take away from the fact that Bush was a better college football player