Greg Rose Has Arrived: From Walk-On To Scholarship Hero

When Greg Rose played football at Lackawanna Community College, he wondered if he would ever get to fulfill his dream of playing Division I Football at the FBS level.

An honorable mention All-American and First Team All-NEFC at Lackawanna College, while winning the NEFC Championship, proved that Rose could do it. He just needed his one big break.

With his chances dwindling, a familiar face came back into his life with the opportunity he so badly wanted. 

"It was actually Coach [Elijah] Brooks who put me on [Coach Michael Locksley’s] radar,” Rose said. “He was my coach in high school and he knew I was looking for an opportunity. He put me in contact with coach Locks and they allowed me to walk-on here.”

Brooks was the head coach at local powerhouse Dematha from 2011-18, where he posted a 72-20 record. Locksley hired Brooks in 2018 as the Terrapins' running backs coach, but he never forgot about his ex-players.

But, not even Brooks could foresee Rose's impact on the Terrapin defense when Brooks suggested his name to Locksley.

The shortened 2020 season was a grind for incoming players like Rose. They did not have a full off-season training camp to learn the defense. It also did not allow newcomers the opportunity to acclimate to a new team and teammates. 

But that did not prevent Rose from working.

One of the few things Rose could control during 2020 was his work ethic. And as long as the effort was there, he had faith that good things would follow. 

Rose’s first impact of the season came in Maryland’s rout of Penn State where he pressured Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford twice. 

The Los Angeles native fulfilled his dream, but he certainly was not satisfied.

The 2021 season offered a sense of normalcy as not only were restrictions lifted for training camp, but the football program moved into its brand new facility, Jones Hill House. 

As a walk-on, Rose still had the mindset he had to outwork everyone, especially those on scholarship, but Locksley and the coaching staff had other plans. 

The staff had Rose invite his infant daughter to Jones Hill House, and it was there they sprung the news onto him.

During a team meeting, Locksley surprised everyone by having NBA superstar, and Maryland and Prince Georges County native Kevin Durant speak to the team via Zoom. After the pep talk, Durant shocked everyone, especially Rose, when he broke the news that Rose earned a scholarship.

On the surface, Rose could not believe it, but deep down, he understood it. He knew that he worked hard and knew he deserved it. 

“It honestly didn’t surprise me as much as it might’ve surprised other people,” Rose said. “Not because I’m cocky or that I think I’m more deserving of other guys, but because I know how hard I’ve worked and I’m just a believer that if you work hard enough then good things will happen.”

Locksley's affinity for walk-on players stems from the energy and the passion they bring to the field. He also appreciates the perspective they bring to the players who are on scholarship.

For the past two seasons, Rose was the gold standard for showing how valuable walk-on players are. So, when it is time to reward them, they deserve to have it done with a grand gesture. 

“[Walk-ons] are guys that play the game because they love it and they want to, not because they get a scholarship or check,” Locksley said. “And so, you know, anytime you can reward them and also publicly do it really helps the morale and it’s great that it happens.”

The only part of that day that surprised Rose was that Kevin Durant, of all people, told the team he earned a scholarship. 

Rose had grown up a huge fan of Durant and even remembers an encounter the two had years ago. 

“I remember being in high school and one day Kevin Durant came to work out in the DeMatha gym,” Rose said. “I just remember thinking ‘Wow, that’s a pro athlete and he’s here.’ For him to be the one who announced my scholarship is crazy and it’s something I’ll always remember.”

Rose started the first two games of the season and made an impact filling gaps allowing linebackers Ruben Hyppolite II and Branden Jennings to make plays.

However, neither of those games compared to what he did against Illinois on national television. 

With the game tied at 17 and just over two minutes remaining on the clock, Maryland had the momentum thanks to a Tayon Fleet-Davis touchdown reception. But now they needed its defense to come up big. 

Not only did the defense step up, but it was Rose who single handedly derailed the Illini’s chances of marching for a game-winning score. 

The defensive lineman bowled over the players in front of him on both first and second down, getting back-to-back sacks on Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters of 11 and seven yards, respectively.

Rose’s play forced the Illini to punt from their endzone, giving the Terps great field position, which allowed quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa and the offense to give kicker Joseph Petrino a chance to win the game. 

Petrino’s 32-yarder split the uprights. Rose and his teammates flooded the field, celebrating their first Big Ten win of the season. 

After his dominant set of plays, Rose instantly became a fan-favorite and garnered several tweets from his fellow defensive lineman about how much they love and respect him. 

“I’m biased but I think we’re the tightest group on the whole team,” Rose said. “We do everything together and that’s because of the love we have for each other. Guys like me, Ami, Lawtez, Sam, Mo, and everyone just love being around each other. It’s a great unit.”

Now an entrenched difference-maker on the team, Rose does not expect his mindset or routine to change. 

He has been doubted, counted out, and forgotten too many times for his outlook on life and football to change. Whenever he is at his lowest, he picks himself up by working hard. Now that he is at his highest, he is working even harder.

“Just because I’m playing and on scholarship doesn’t mean I’m different,” Rose said. “If anything all of this just means the coaches know how hard of a worker and I am and are expecting it out of me. I love this team and I won’t let them down.”