I mentioned at Field Gulls that rookie Rob Rose was one of a few players that stood out to me. Here is some background:
↵Birth: December 24, 1987
↵Position: Defensive end
↵Recruiting: Number-one rated strongside end in the country as rated by Rivals (2006)
↵College: Ohio State
↵How acquired: Signed as an undrafted free agent.
Rose started out strong, recording 3.5 sacks and seven tackles in eight games as a freshman. Then, injuries started to eat up his potential. He missed most of his sophomore season and then returned in a reduced role as a junior and a senior.
↵He signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent. Pete Carroll’s son, Brennan, recruited him out of high school, and so Carroll knows Rose and had previously shown interest in signing him.
↵I didn’t know he had achieved such heights as a prospect. I just noticed him running drills yesterday and thought he looked intriguing. When I find out about formerly-highly regarded players like Rose, I wonder, where did the talent go? Sometimes, injury eats it up. Sometimes, the player loses their drive. Sometimes, it would seem, it hasn’t gone anywhere. A player that faces a few delays, a few setbacks can sometimes struggle to get back on course. High-level competition sets a breakneck pace, and even one season lost to injury can cause a player to lose his place. Rose sets out to prove that though he lost his status, he hasn’t lost his talent.