Rose selected for NMSU HoF

• Rose selected for NMSU HoF

Fairfield native Larry Rose III left his mark on the gridiron during four years at Fairfield (2010-13) and another four at New Mexico State (2014-17).

Rose’s efforts did not go unrecognized. NM State Director of Athletics Mario Moccia recently announced the 2024 class of former Aggies to be inducted into the US Bank/NM State Athletics Hall of Fame, and Rose was one of the four.

Rose is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

He is the second in NM State history to be a first ballot selection since former Lady Aggie Rachael Cuellar was inducted in 2010 as a track and field athlete.

Rose finished his career ranked second in NM State history in rushing yards with 4,558 while averaging nearly six yards per carry (5.9).

He is also the Aggies’ all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (37) and total touchdowns (42), achieving this feat in in 44 games played.

Out of the backfield, Rose also compiled 1,157 receiving yards making him second in program history in scrimmage yards with 5,715. He tallied more than 1,000 scrimmage yards in all four years as an Aggie.

As a sophomore, Rose rushed for a program record 1,657 yards and finished the year with 1,940 yards from scrimmage.

In 2015, he averaged 138.1 rushing yards per game which remains the highest yards-per-game average in a single season by any Aggie in program history.

This was highlighted by a game on Oct. 3, 2015, in which Rose ran for 260 yards against in-state rival New Mexico. This remains the third-most rushing yards in a single game in school history.

In 2015, Rose also tallied 14 rushing touchdowns which marks the fourth most by an Aggie in a single season. His performance led him to claim Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors, leading the SBC in rushing yards and touchdowns.

Recognition continued as he was named to the Associated Press All-American Third Team, joining an exclusive group of only 17 Aggies to receive all-America honors. The Sun Belt further honored Rose with honorable mention in 2014 and second-team recognition in 2017.

In total, Rose posted 200-plus rushing yards four times in his career, making him responsible for four of the top 16 single game rushing marks in school history. He also eclipsed 100 yards on the ground 19 times in his career – a feat only two other Aggies accomplished.

Rose also had a knack for the explosive play during his time as he recorded three of the 12 longest plays in NM State history, including an 82-yard rush in 2015 versus UTEP.

Beyond his freshman debut, Rose displayed sustained excellence by leading the Aggies in rushing yards for all four years of his collegiate career – a rare achievement shared by only two other Aggies, Denvis Manns (1995-98) Temple

Cameron and Ron “Po” James (196871), both hall of famers who served as the Aggies’ leading rushers for four consecutive years.

During his time at Fairfield, Rose had 4,384 yards and 66 touchdowns rushing in four seasons. His top season was in 2013 - his senior year - when he rushed for 2,924 yards and 49 touchdowns during the Eagles’ 15-1 state runner-up campaign.

After leaving NM State, Rose signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent to begin his professional career. Rose later signed with the Los Angeles Rams on May 15, 2018, for the first of two brief stints with the Rams.

His career later continued in the Alliance of American Football where he signed with the Arizona Hotshots and appeared in one game.

Prior to being selected in the fifth round of the 2020 XFL Draft, Rose also spent time in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Most recently, Rose was drafted by the New Orleans Breakers in the 27th round of the 2022 United States Football League Draft.

Today, Rose is a professional truck driver and travels the country alongside his girlfriend, Lashya Cole, while working for Tri-State Motor Transit.

Other inductees into the NM State Hall of Fame include Fiana Finau (softball, 2014-16), Hernst Laroche (men’s basketball, 200812) and Joe Schmiesing (football, 1967).