Raiders Activate Ismail, Release Green

It took five months of negotiations to get Rocket Ismail into a Raider uniform.

It took only five exhibition games to get Gaston Green out of his Raider uniform.

The club activated Ismail, the receiver-return man from Notre Dame by way of the Canadian Football League, Saturday and terminated Green, the veteran running back, making him a free agent.

Ismail, who signed his first NFL contract 13 days ago, will make his debut in the Kingdome today against the Seattle Seahawks, returning kicks and perhaps running pass patterns.

Green was the all-time leading rusher in UCLA history, but only once, in five pro seasons, did he approach that level of greatness in the NFL.

After doing more watching than playing in three seasons as a Ram, Green went to the Denver Broncos where, in 1991, he gained 1,037 yards and averaged four yards a carry. His average was the same last season, but his yardage total dropped to 648.

And his stock with Denver dropped when the club picked up former San Diego Charger Rod Bernstine.

The main knock on Green was always his size. Standing 5-11 and weighing 190, Green was not considered big enough to fight his way through defenders, or shifty enough to get around them.

The Raiders took a chance on the Los Angeles native, giving up a third-round draft choice for him last spring.

But he never got untracked in the preseason, gaining 47 yards in 22 carries for a 2.1-yard average.