Larry Pickett Jr.’s Heroic Act of Courage: ‘Anyone Else Would’ve Done Same Thing’

There’s lending a helping hand. Then, there’s what Army safety Larry Pickett Jr. and his father did.

Earlier this month, a video spread of Pickett and his father noticing a power line down on a car, with a man inside the vehicle and the car beginning to catch fire underneath. The two went over to the car and helped pull the individual out and away. Minutes later, the car was in flames.

During Week 3’s edition of “Big Noon Kickoff,” Tom Rinaldi shed light on the story.

“I know that if it was anyone else that they would’ve done the same thing,” Pickett said about the situation. “That’s just who the Army is. It’s way bigger than just myself.

“Just being here at West Point, being a part of the brotherhood. West Point instills in us values like selfless service and the willingness to serve, and helping other people. That’s just the type of people that West Point molds.”

As for his collegiate career, Pickett, a sophomore, didn’t appear in a game in 2024 but has appeared in each of Army’s first two games this season. After losing at home to Tarleton State in Week 1, Army bounced back with a memorable 24-21 win on the road against Kansas State in Week 2. 

But a greater victory had already been earned for Pickett.

“To save someone’s life, what are you going to do in your life that’s more significant than that?” Army coach Jeff Monken said of Pickett. “I hope he has a great season and a great career, but saving someone else’s life, I’m not sure what he’ll do to top that.”

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