He was an All-American at Loyola University of Chicago and is best remembered for hitting the game-winning shot as time expired in the overtime period of the 1963 NCAA championship game.

Rouse, a 6'7" forward from Pearl High School in Nashville, Tennessee, played college basketball for Loyola for coach George Ireland.

He, along with high school teammate Les Hunter, joined the Ramblers and helped them become the first NCAA champion to feature four African-American starters in his junior year.

Rouse is best known for following Hunter's miss as time expired to defeat Cincinnati and spoil that school's bid to win a third straight NCAA title.

[1] On July 11, 2013, to observe the 50th anniversary of the national championship, President Barack Obama welcomed surviving Loyola players Hunter, Jerry Harkness, John Egan and Ron Miller to the Oval Office to honor the team.