Army sophomore safety Larry Pickett Jr. doesn’t remember a word spoken as his family came upon a car crashed into a utility pole early Sunday morning in Fort Montgomery, N.Y., a few miles from the West Point campus.

“There was no conversation,” Pickett Jr. told The Athletic, but there was quick processing and action.

The car had hit the pole seconds earlier; that was clear from the smoke emanating from it. A downed power line meant grave danger for anyone in the car. A few bystanders had gathered, watching. Larry Pickett Sr. put the car in park, and father and son raced to the driver’s side of the crashed BMW.

“We knew that car was about to catch on fire and whoever was in there was going to burn up, and we couldn’t just watch and let that happen,” Pickett Jr. said. “We got out, ran over, jumped over the power line, opened the door. He still had his seatbelt on.”

The driver was unresponsive. The Picketts got the seat belt off and dragged him out. Pickett Jr.’s sister Lauren was taking a video at this point, capturing Pickett Sr. falling to the ground a couple of feet from the car. At that point, his wife, Shawnonne, yelled: “Larry! Come on! Come on, get him out!”

He quickly regained his footing, and the Picketts dragged the driver across the street. The car burst into flames moments later.

Risk taken, life saved. A first responder later came up to Pickett Jr. and summed it up in five words: “You are a hero, sir.”

“What if we got there just a minute later?” Pickett Jr. said Monday, thinking back on a rescue that has earned praise from coast to coast and texts from people he hasn’t talked to in years. “I honestly don’t think anyone else would have gone up to that car just because of the power line, and unfortunately, he would have died.”

The driver, who told the Picketts his name was David, came to quickly and repeatedly expressed disbelief that he had just crashed into the pole. Pickett Jr. at one point told him, “Listen, you are blessed.”

The driver denied drinking that night and was eventually able to stand and head toward an ambulance so he could go to a hospital for observation. A Town of Highlands (N.Y.) police spokesperson said Monday that the incident did not result in any charges.

Pickett Jr. said he hadn’t yet heard from the driver as of Monday, but he heard a lot about his rescue from teammates and coaches when the Black Knights convened for practice Sunday. Pickett Jr.’s debut came Thursday, recording one tackle in Army’s 30-27 upset loss to Tarleton State. A little more than 48 hours later, he served as a reminder of the bigger picture of being a cadet.

“This is exactly what we strive to develop at @WestPoint_USMA & @GoArmyWestPoint – leadership, courage and selfless service,” Army athletic director Tom Theodorakis posted on X. “Cadet Larry Pickett Jr., and his father exemplify the values we hold dear, stepping up in a moment of crisis to save a life. Proud to see these traits in action, on and off the fields of friendly strife. Count the brave.”

Army head coach Jeff Monken also praised Pickett Jr. on social media.

Larry’s heroic actions embody everything we strive to instill in our cadet-athletes — courage, selflessness, and a willingness to put others before themselves. In that critical moment, he didn’t think of himself, only of helping another person in need. We are incredibly proud of… https://t.co/BaNpq8zHez

— Jeff Monken (@CoachJeffMonken) September 1, 2025

In his Instagram post of the video, Pickett Sr. wrote: “Thank you Jesus that this man will live to see another day! I am so grateful for my son LJ for saving his life! Not only is he making an impact in the classroom and on the football field at the United States Military Academy at West Point, but he’s also making a difference in his community!”

That’s a family tradition, too. The Picketts, who live in Raleigh, N.C., and own preschools and a production company, are active in their church and took their kids on a mission trip to build homes in Mexico. Pickett Jr. volunteers as a youth ambassador for Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh.

That instilled belief in service is part of why the all-state defensive back out of Raleigh Enloe High — and nephew of longtime Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor — chose Army. Both of his grandfathers served in the military as well.

“I’ve just always been intrigued by the Army, what they do and how they do it,” he said. “And I don’t mind taking risks at all, or going on adventures.”

That was not the plan on Saturday, a leave day for Pickett Jr., as he, his family and his girlfriend took the hour-and-a-half drive from West Point to New York City for a day of tourism. A few miles from his parents’ Airbnb, he encountered a dangerous situation that required instant action and resulted in a moment that could change his life. Or at least let millions of people know how he wants to live it.

“I’m just taking this for what it is,” Pickett Jr. said. “People around me are telling me to be proud of this and to embrace it, but to me, this was just doing what I would always do. This is just helping somebody in need.”

(Photo courtesy of Army Athletics)