Keith Ismael
Keith Edward Ismael is an American professional football center. He has played in the National Football League for the Washington Commanders and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs and was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft by the team then known as the Washington Redskins.
Early life
Ismael was born on July 25, 1998, in San Francisco, California, into a family of football players. His father, George Ismael, was a center for the Florida A&M Rattlers; his uncle, Tavita Pritchard, was a quarterback for the Stanford Cardinal and is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders; and his other uncle, Wilson Faumuina, played five seasons in the NFL.Growing up, Ismael played baseball, basketball, soccer, and also swam. It wasn’t until seventh grade that his father allowed him to play football, wanting to ensure that he understood the sport, recognized the dedication required to succeed, and had a genuine passion for it. He attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco, where he played football and lacrosse.
College career
A two-star recruit, Ismael committed to San Diego State over offers from Air Force, Army, Colorado State, Eastern Washington, Hawaii [Rainbow Warriors football|Hawaii], Montana, San Jose State, UC Davis, and Utah State. He was a three-year starter at San Diego State. He was named second-team All-Mountain West Conference as a freshman and to the first-team as a sophomore and as a junior. Following the 2019 season, he announced he would be forgoing his senior season by entering the 2020 NFL draft.Professional career
Washington Football Team / Commanders
Ismael was selected by the Washington Football Team in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, in which they took Ismael with one of the two picks they acquired in a trade that sent Trent Williams to the San Francisco 49ers. He signed his four-year rookie contract on July 22, 2020. Ismael was released on August 31, 2021, and re-signed to the practice squad the following day. He was promoted to the active roster on November 4. In the Week 12 win against the Seattle Seahawks, Ismael took over at center after starter Wes Schweitzer left the game after suffering an ankle injury. The following week, Ismael made his first career start against the Las Vegas Raiders which made him the fourth starting center for the team in the 2021 season.On March 16, 2022, the team placed an exclusive rights free agent tender on Ismael, which he signed on April 20. He was placed on injured reserve as part of finalizing the 53-man roster, but released with an injury settlement on September 5, 2022.
San Francisco 49ers
On September 13, 2022, Ismael signed with the practice squad of the San Francisco 49ers. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 31, 2023.On August 29, 2023, Ismael was waived by the 49ers.
Arizona Cardinals
On August 30, 2023, Ismael was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals. He played in 13 games for the Cardinals in 2023.Ismael was waived by the Cardinals on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad. He was released by Arizona on December 10.