Before being elected to represent the people of South Mississippi in Washington, Congressman Ezell was a career law enforcement officer who most recently served as Sheriff of Jackson County.

The son of a city policeman and a church secretary, Congressman Ezell is a lifelong resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and a graduate of Pascagoula High School. He attended night school at the University of Southern Mississippi to obtain a degree in Criminal Justice while serving full-time with the Pascagoula Police Department. He also graduated from the Mississippi Law Enforcement Training Academy and the FBI National Academy.

A former competition shooter, Congressman Ezell now spends his free time hunting and fishing across South Mississippi. He and his wife, Suzette, are active members of First Baptist Church of Pascagoula. They have one daughter, Amy Ezell Dennis (Coby) and one granddaughter, Sydney.