Pirates Sign DL Ezekiel Rose
ORLANDO, FL - The Orlando Pirates have signed defensive lineman Ezekiel Rose. This will be Rose’ second stint with the team as he joined the organization in 2022 after playing in the Canadian Football League.
By: Mick Moninghoff
The former West Virginia University standout most recently played with the Kentucky Barrels of the AF1 where he helped the team to a 7-3 record this season before his departure. The 6'3", 315 lb. pass rusher led Kentucky with 11.5 sacks. He also had 31 tackles with two tackles for a loss.
Rose, a product of Clarksdale, MS, played two games for the Pirates in 2022 making 14 tackles with two for a loss. He also started the team's playoff game that season assisting on five tackles. In 2023 he started all 13 games in which he played as he posted 26 solo tackles while assisting on 24 more. He had five tackles for a loss with 3.5 sacks. Rose also added six quarterback hurries with a fumble recovery, one pass defended and two blocked kicks. Rose also started the Pirates playoff game that season making three tackles.
In 2019 Rose signed as an undrafted free agent and went to rookie minicamp with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He then signed with Winnipeg in the 2019 offseason. The following year was lost to the pandemic. In his first professional game in 2021 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Rose suffered a torn ACL. He remained with the team as they went on to win the CFL's Grey Cup. After the season he signed with Saskatchewan.
After his two seasons with the Pirates, Rose played with the Nashville Katz of the AF1 and had six sacks in five games plus another 1.5 sacks in the playoffs. In 2025 he led the Albany Firebirds to the AF1 Title, leading the team with 11.5 sacks and was named a First-Team All-AF1 performer.
Rose' collegiate career began in 2015 at East Mississippi Community College. There he played in 18 games making 44 tackles with eight for a loss, had 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
He then transferred to the University of West Virginia and in two years with the Mountaineers (2017-2018) played in 25 games making five starts. Rose compiled 43 tackles, had eight tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks and two interceptions. He also defended four passes and forced a fumble. He also returned one kick for 23 yards.
Rose also earned All-Big 12 Second Team academic honors in 2018. That same year he graduated with a degree in multidisciplinary studies.
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