Serving in the US military is an honor, and it also instills its people to act with honor. These people are born to serve, and understand the meaning of sacrifice on a greater level. Army football’s Larry Pickett Jr., at a mere 20 years old, displayed those values in a heroic act that saved a man’s life.

Pickett was coming back to West Point after dinner with his family and girlfriend. But on the way, they came across a situation that forced the safety to act in the nick of time. A sedan had crashed into an electric pole, and the live wires had come down. Pickett and his father rushed to pull out the driver, knowing that the car will catch fire. By the time help had arrived on scene, the car was engulfed in flames. This selfless act of service made Pickett an overnight hero.

David Denton, the man who Pickett saved, had a heartfelt message for him. “Larry put his own life in jeopardy for mine. I always say, ‘Wow, you know, in a second, if he wasn’t there, I would have probably been burnt alive,’” he said. “From being burnt alive to walking away with barely a scratch, that’s a miracle in itself. And that’s because of Larry,” Denton added in his gratitude for the safety. Larry Pickett Jr. earned the nation’s love for this life-saving act.

Pickett was also awarded the Heroism Award at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards this November. He and Denton reunited, and the latter called him an “angel” sent to help him that night. Pickett told CNN that he had already seen sparks underneath the car. Even when authorities were trying to control the scene, another instance of sparking occurred on the wires above.

Pickett is a sophomore this season, and is on his first ever run at college football. He recorded his first assisted tackle in the opener, after which this incident happened. He credited his family and West Point for shaping him into someone capable of making that tough decision. “Being raised by my family and being here at West Point, just those values that they instill in us, you know. Selfless service and just the willingness to serve and help others. That definitely took action on Saturday night,” Pickett told CNN.

Larry Pickett Jr. “didn’t have any fear” behind heroic act

Larry Pickett Jr.’s timely thinking saved Denton’s life. But he was still near live wires with a dangerous amount of voltage. Denton was even wearing a seatbelt and was disoriented as Pickett and his father worked on pulling him out. But the safety held his cool. “I didn’t have any fear for myself,” Larry Pickett Jr. told College GameDay.

“I was more fearing for, of course, my dad who’s beside me and the gentleman in the car. And not a fear as in I’m scared, but just that we have to act fast,” he added. The senior Pickett even tripped and fell while trying to drag the man to safety. Denton needed immediate medical attention. They tried to help him all they could until the paramedics arrived to take him to the hospital.

“There was no discussion. My son just jumped right into action,” Larry Pickett Sr. told WTVD. The safety came out a true hero after that incident. At just 20, Pickett became an inspiration for others to step up in times of need.