Getty Qadry Ismail, who helped the Baltimore Ravens win the franchise's first Super Bowl, reacted emotionally after the team signed his son.
The Baltimore Ravens are turning to a familiar source in their ongoing search for help at wide receiver, the son of Qadry Ismail. He tallied two 1,000-yard seasons and helped the 2000 Ravens win the franchise’s first Super Bowl, now his son, undrafted free agent Qadir Ismail, will join the team.
His addition to the 90-man roster after a tryout at the Ravens’ rookie minicamp, was confirmed by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley on Monday, May 20.
A very cool addition: Ravens signed Qadir Ismail, an undrafted rookie wide receiver who is the son of Qadry Ismail, the No. 1 receiver on Baltimore’s 2000 Super Bowl team.
Qadry told Hensley: “I’m choking up now. I’m having a hard time with it in a way — in a very good way. It’s just fun. It really is. It’s a cool thing. I’m not speechless, but as a dad, obviously, it takes on a whole different meaning. I’m so proud of him and so excited that he gets to wear purple.”
Ismail the younger’s chances of making the final, 53-man roster will be slim, but he has a notable NFL lineage the Ravens know better than most. Now, coaches must focus on helping the converted quarterback refine his game as a wideout and give him the chance to match his father’s legacy in Baltimore.
Qadry Ismail Established Impressive Legacy for Ravens
Replicating what his father did in Baltimore would be a dream outcome for rookie Ismail. It won’t be easy, though.
Not after Qadry proved to be one of the more astute free-agent signings in franchise history. He arrived from the New Orleans Saints in 1999 and promptly snagged 68 catches for 1,105 yards and six touchdowns.
Another 1,000-yard campaign followed two years later, when Ismail senior got his hands on 74 receptions, amassed 1,059 yards and scored seven touchdowns. What made the numbers more impressive was how Ismail posted these statistics during an era when the Ravens were beset by mediocre quarterbacks.
He caught passes from Tony Banks, Trent Dilfer and Elvis Grbac. It was Dilfer who led the 2000 Ravens, propped up more than a little by a defense for the ages, to a Super Bowl win over the New York Giants.
Ismail played his part, burning Big Blue for a 44-yard catch. It was one of a number of big plays Dilfer and his receivers manufactured to shock a pretty tough Giants defense.
Lifting the Lombardi Trophy cemented a legacy for Ismail. It’s a tough act to follow, but Qadir can still have value for the Ravens.
New WR Will Offer Ravens Something Different
Ismail’s son spent the last two seasons playing at Samford, where he emerged as a size and speed mismatch. At 6-foot-6, Qadir will give the Ravens something different in a wide receiver corps defined more by smaller, swifter pass-catchers than physical playmakers.
There’s room for a taller target when 5-foot-9 Zay Flowers is the go-to target for quarterback Lamar Jackson. Ismail could play his way into extra reps, provided he shows some nuance as a receiver.
That won’t be easy for a player who began as a quarterback at Villanova. Although he switched to wideout, Ismail tallied 11 catches in 2021 and just 16 more the next two years at Samford, per Matt Ryan of Ravens.com.
Signing an intriguing prospect with this much upside makes sense when the Ravens are still searching for ways to get better at receiver.
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