Raghib and Qadry Ismail joke with Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown after he present both with a key to the city at Wilkes-Barre Area High School Saturday afternoon.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
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Raghib Ismail jokes with Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown rubbing his shoulder before he was presented with a key to the city Saturday afternoon.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Raghib Ismail addresses 40-plus Wilkes-Barre Area athletes in the gym of the high school Saturday afternoon.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Raghib Ismail addresses 40-plus Wilkes-Barre Area athletes in the gym of the high school Saturday afternoon.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Raghib Ismail addresses 40-plus Wilkes-Barre Area athletes in the gym of the high school Saturday afternoon as his brother Qadry stands in the back ground.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Raghib ‘Rocket’ and Qadry ‘The Missile’ Ismail were given keys to the city by Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown on Saturday afternoon in the gymnasium at Wilkes-Barre Area High School. Pictured are, from left, Raghib, Mayor Brown and Qadry.
Sam Zavada | Times Leader
Raghib and Qadry Ismail may be headed into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday, but their weekend included another big honor.
Namely, “Rocket” and “The Missile” received ceremonial keys to the city from Mayor George Brown on Saturday afternoon in the gymnasium at Wilkes-Barre Area High School.
“They’re special people that came through the city and grew up in the city and matured into wonderful athletes. But also, more important than that, wonderful men,” Brown said of the Ismail brothers. “And every day they give back to people that need their help.”
The Ismail brothers, who played a combined 19 seasons in the National Football League, got their afternoon started by talking to local students about their experiences as athletes and people.
Raghib, more commonly known as “Rocket,” spent a large portion of his speaking time discussing broad themes like finding and sharing peace through “greater works.” He framed much of his speech as a retrospective meditation on his own life.
“Looking back at the journey, what would I tell my five-year-old self to imagine?” Rocket said of the internal questioning he employed to develop his speech to the students. “What would I tell my five-year-old self to practice imagining daily, and keep reminding myself daily?”
While Rocket wasn’t able to check out too much of his old neighborhood by the time he received the key to the city, his expectations for Wilkes-Barre’s growth since his last visit were high.
“I expect to see whatever is indicative of a place where people can come and be built up,” Rocket said, noting that progress in any form usually faces opposition that must largely be disregarded in order for meaningful change to happen.
The brothers were also back in the Wilkes-Barre area to be inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame. Their induction came at, logistically, the perfect time.
“I think it’s at the right time,” said Qadry of his and his brother’s induction. “To be able to go in together is really special. … To be a part of the pantheon of the greats that have come through here, it’s humbling, it’s remarkable, and it’s a great honor.”
Qadry acknowledged that the Hall of Fame induction is a great opportunity to do some community outreach while they are back in the area. For Qadry in particular, seeing the relatively new Wilkes-Barre Area High School was a high priority. The fact that the brothers were able to speak with the students and the young athletes following in their footsteps was just the cherry on top.
James T. Martin, the president of the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame, was on hand at the ceremony and spoke to the cooperation and potential partnerships between the Hall of Fame and the local community.
“A key means an open door,” said Martin. “Bringing [the Ismail brothers] back is opening the door for so many other athletes to say ‘Hey, we would like to come back also. We would like to share our stories.’”