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  6. article_body => "<p>For someone to be successful in sports, or in really any area of life, motivation must be involved. As an athlete specifically, there will be losses, injuries and setbacks, and when those pitfalls occur, the person experiencing them has to find a way to push through.<\/p>\n<p>Keith Ismael, whom the Redskins selected in the fifth round of the draft late last month, has clearly found success in football. So, what's driven him to get where he is now, and what will continue to inspire him so he ensures this isn't the peak of his career?<\/p>\n<p>During a Thursday Zoom call with local reporters, the center\/guard had a chance to respond to that question. His answer, frankly, was damn impressive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\"Besides the dream of playing at this level, I think it just all goes back to really me,\" Ismael said.&nbsp;\"The only person that stands in the way of you getting to your goals is yourself. I\u2019m a super competitive person, that\u2019s how I am. That\u2019s how my family is. We always compete.\"<\/p>\n<p>Ron Rivera wants to build a locker room full of high-character players and players who are thirsty for competition. Ismael absolutely appears to fit in with that vision with his outlook.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/redskin-talk\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE REDSKINS TALK PODCAST<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/f1339a3e-06a7-41d6-bc8b-77df06fb8eae\/episodes\/9f6e791d-5500-4be0-b9b6-c0419d553ca3\/embed?theme=light-blue\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<p>\"I&nbsp;just want to be my best self, day in and day out,\" he continued.&nbsp;\"I have to wake up every day and beat myself. I have to be better than who I was the day before.\"<\/p>\n<p>In terms of hype, Ismael may carry&nbsp;the least in the Redskins' 2020 draft class. That's what happens when you're a Day 3 interior offensive lineman in a crew that includes the country's top prospect, an explosive offensive piece, a tackle from the national champs&nbsp;and a wide receiver with lots of college production.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, however, he didn't come across as someone who cares about any of that at all.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Keith Ismael just wants to improve tomorrow, then improve again the next day, and then improve the next day after that. As long as he does that, he's content.<\/p>\n<p>\"Whether I\u2019m working in real estate, or I\u2019m working at McDonalds,&nbsp;I\u2019m going to be the best damn drive-thru server that you\u2019ll ever have,\" Ismael said.&nbsp;\"It just goes down to me beating myself.\"<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>MORE REDSKINS NEWS<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Moss' motivation: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/why-thaddeus-moss-views-going-undrafted-slap-face\" target=\"_self\">TE angry about draft<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Redskins vs. Pats: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/how-redskins-beat-out-patriots-thaddeus-moss\" target=\"_self\">Washington won this one<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Offseason loser?: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/redskins\/one-nfl-writer-labeled-dwayne-haskins-loser-2020-nfl-offseason-feels-wrong\" target=\"_self\">This Dwayne take is wrong<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"
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Redskins

Redskins

For someone to be successful in sports, or in really any area of life, motivation must be involved. As an athlete specifically, there will be losses, injuries and setbacks, and when those pitfalls occur, the person experiencing them has to find a way to push through.

Keith Ismael, whom the Redskins selected in the fifth round of the draft late last month, has clearly found success in football. So, what's driven him to get where he is now, and what will continue to inspire him so he ensures this isn't the peak of his career?

During a Thursday Zoom call with local reporters, the center/guard had a chance to respond to that question. His answer, frankly, was damn impressive. 

"Besides the dream of playing at this level, I think it just all goes back to really me," Ismael said. "The only person that stands in the way of you getting to your goals is yourself. I’m a super competitive person, that’s how I am. That’s how my family is. We always compete."

Ron Rivera wants to build a locker room full of high-character players and players who are thirsty for competition. Ismael absolutely appears to fit in with that vision with his outlook.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE REDSKINS TALK PODCAST

"I just want to be my best self, day in and day out," he continued. "I have to wake up every day and beat myself. I have to be better than who I was the day before."

 

In terms of hype, Ismael may carry the least in the Redskins' 2020 draft class. That's what happens when you're a Day 3 interior offensive lineman in a crew that includes the country's top prospect, an explosive offensive piece, a tackle from the national champs and a wide receiver with lots of college production.

On Thursday, however, he didn't come across as someone who cares about any of that at all.

Instead, Keith Ismael just wants to improve tomorrow, then improve again the next day, and then improve the next day after that. As long as he does that, he's content.

"Whether I’m working in real estate, or I’m working at McDonalds, I’m going to be the best damn drive-thru server that you’ll ever have," Ismael said. "It just goes down to me beating myself."

MORE REDSKINS NEWS