TUCSON — Ismail Mahdi knows his way around a defense. Now, he is learning his way around a kitchen.
Just months after graduating from the University of Arizona, the former Wildcats running back has stepped into a role no playbook could have prepared him for: co-owner of Dickey's Barbecue Pit on Thornydale Road in Tucson.
It is a long way from the football field, but for Mahdi, the transition was always part of the plan.
"Football is going to end one day for everybody, so let me go ahead and start my entrepreneurship. It's something that I always wanted to do," Mahdi said.
That entrepreneurial push came with a little help.
Mahdi connected with co-owner Manny Gomez through a podcast, and the two partnered up to bring Texas-style barbecue to Tucson. At just 23 years old, Mahdi is now catering orders, managing employees, and running a full restaurant operation — not exactly the typical post-graduation plan.
For Mahdi, the choice of concept was personal. He grew up in Murphy, Texas, where Dickey's was as familiar as fast food.
"Dickey's is like McDonald's in Texas where I tell everybody it's all over every corner and stuff like that. I always used to go to Dickey's when I was younger with my pops after football games," Mahdi said.
Now he is hoping to bring that same comfort and culture to Tucson — a city that, despite being far from home, has started to feel like one.
"Just the community, you know, it's a great community, a lot of good people," Mahdi said.
Gomez says it did not take long to see that Mahdi's years on the field shaped the kind of leader he is becoming behind the counter.
"Honestly, just the way that he carries himself, you know, he speaks like a grown man. I forget that he's so young," Gomez laughed.
That same intensity that helped Mahdi rush for 853 yards in his final season at Arizona has followed him into the restaurant, sometimes even a little too closely.
"Sometimes I have to remind him like, hey, you know, we're not playing football. You don't have to tell them 100%, give it all till you pass out kind of thing. You don't have to do that here," Gomez said.
Mahdi laughs it off, but does not deny it.
"I'm always in the store 24/7, even my one of my managers, he's like, Man, just go home and chill out. I'm like, that's just how I'm wired," Mahdi said.
He has not closed the door on football entirely. Mahdi says he still hopes opportunities could come along down the road. In the meantime, he is also taking on a role as running backs coach at Cholla High School, adding one more responsibility to an already full plate.
The restaurant is already open, with a grand opening celebration planned for Aug. 22.
