Army West Point Athletics
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Pickett Jr. Named to Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List
September 30, 2025 | Football
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point sophomore safety Larry Pickett Jr. has been named to the watch list for the ninth annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, presented annually to honor exemplary leadership in college football.
Pickett is one of 67 student-athletes across the country recognized for displaying exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 31, Larry Pickett Jr. and his family were driving through Fort Montgomery, N.Y., when they came upon the scene of a serious accident. A car had veered into a utility pole, leaving live electrical wires scattered dangerously across the roadway.
Without hesitation, Pickett and his father, Larry Sr., leapt into action. The two raced toward the vehicle, where the driver remained unresponsive inside. Together, they managed to unbuckle the man's seatbelt and pull him to safety, dragging him across the street and away from immediate danger.
Just moments after they carried the driver to safety, the car erupted in flames.
Twenty semifinalists will be selected by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced on Tuesday, October 14. From there, three finalists will be named on Monday, December 15, with the winner honored at the award ceremony at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2026.
Past recipients of the award include Shaquem Griffin (UCF, 2017), D'Cota Dixon (Wisconsin, 2018), Trey Smith (Tennessee, 2019), Sam Ehlinger (Texas, 2020), Joshua Paschal (Kentucky, 2021), Deslin Alexandre (Pittsburgh, 2022), Mike Hollins (Virginia, 2023), and last year's winner J.J. Weaver (Kentucky).
Presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year is the first college football honor to focus primarily on leadership, both on and off the field. In keeping with Witten's legacy, the award seeks to spotlight players who serve as role models through service, accountability, and dedication to their communities.
"It's an incredible honor to announce this group of young men as the watch list for the Collegiate Man of the Year," said Jason Witten. "These student-athletes have all demonstrated exceptional leadership, often in the face of adversity, and are perfect examples of what the sport of college football is all about."
The winner will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund, donated by the Jason Witten SCORE Foundation. The foundation, founded in 2007, operates the nationally-recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors in shelters across Texas and Tennessee to work with children impacted by family violence.
Pickett is one of 67 student-athletes across the country recognized for displaying exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 31, Larry Pickett Jr. and his family were driving through Fort Montgomery, N.Y., when they came upon the scene of a serious accident. A car had veered into a utility pole, leaving live electrical wires scattered dangerously across the roadway.
Without hesitation, Pickett and his father, Larry Sr., leapt into action. The two raced toward the vehicle, where the driver remained unresponsive inside. Together, they managed to unbuckle the man's seatbelt and pull him to safety, dragging him across the street and away from immediate danger.
Just moments after they carried the driver to safety, the car erupted in flames.
Twenty semifinalists will be selected by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced on Tuesday, October 14. From there, three finalists will be named on Monday, December 15, with the winner honored at the award ceremony at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2026.
Past recipients of the award include Shaquem Griffin (UCF, 2017), D'Cota Dixon (Wisconsin, 2018), Trey Smith (Tennessee, 2019), Sam Ehlinger (Texas, 2020), Joshua Paschal (Kentucky, 2021), Deslin Alexandre (Pittsburgh, 2022), Mike Hollins (Virginia, 2023), and last year's winner J.J. Weaver (Kentucky).
Presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year is the first college football honor to focus primarily on leadership, both on and off the field. In keeping with Witten's legacy, the award seeks to spotlight players who serve as role models through service, accountability, and dedication to their communities.
"It's an incredible honor to announce this group of young men as the watch list for the Collegiate Man of the Year," said Jason Witten. "These student-athletes have all demonstrated exceptional leadership, often in the face of adversity, and are perfect examples of what the sport of college football is all about."
The winner will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund, donated by the Jason Witten SCORE Foundation. The foundation, founded in 2007, operates the nationally-recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors in shelters across Texas and Tennessee to work with children impacted by family violence.
Players Mentioned
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