By Ed Diokno
In the final day of the National Football League draft, two Filipino American college players were selected by professional football teams.
On April 25, San Diego State center Keith Ismael was chosen with the 11th pick of the fifth round (156th overall) by Washington, while Boise State defensive lineman Curtis Weaver was selected eight picks later (164th overall) by the Miami Dolphins.
Ismael is of Samoan, Filipino, African American and Native American descent, according to his Twitter. After being drafted, the San Francisco native told the local media that the sport of football is in his blood as well.
“It wasn’t the determining factor in me playing the sport when I was young, but it definitely helps to come from a football family,” Ismael said. “I have a lot of resources, a lot of family that have played that have given me knowledge over the years, just how to play the game and the right way to approach it.”
His father, George, was a center at Florida A&M, and viewed football as such a noble pursuit that Ismael wasn’t allowed the privilege of putting on the pads until seventh grade, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Meanwhile, one of Ismael’s uncles was a former Oregon defensive end. Another uncle, Tavita Pritchard, is the current offensive coordinator for Stanford after previously playing quarterback for the Cardinals.
Th 6-foot-3, 309 pound Ismael was a three-time Mountain West selection in three seasons playing for the Aztecs in San Diego. He was drafted as a center but can play all three interior line positions, and could potentially be a starter in his rookie year.
Weaver, whose mother, Carla, is Filipina, grew up in Long Beach, California. The 6-foot-3, 265 pound pass rusher was projected as a first-round pick, but he ended up having to wait until the final day of the draft to hear his name called by the Dolphins.
“This is a classic case of bad body, good player,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on the broadcast. “He’s not going to wow you when you see him, but what he does have is a knack for getting to the quarterback. Not a real explosive first step, but he’s got this wiggle and ability to bend once he gets to the very top of his rush…And he’s an outstanding finisher.”
Weaver holds the Mountain West Conference record for career sacks. In 2019, he was honored as the MWC’s Defensive Player of the Year and is also a two-time MWC selection.
As a Dolphin, he will play alongside University of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a Samoan American raised in Hawaii who was chosen on the first day of the NFL draft as Miami’s fifth overall pick.
Weaver and Ismael join the ranks of several other Filipino Americans who have played professional football, perhaps most notably quarterback Roman Gabriel, who played for the Los Angeles Rams (1962-1972) and Philadelphia Eagles (1973-1977). The most recent FilAm player was wide receiver Doug Baldwin, who retired from the Seattle Seahawks last year.
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