Army’s season may be over, but the Black Knights have multiple players hoping to end their careers on a high note or even earn an opportunity at the next level. Star MLB Kalib Fortner is one of these players.
Fortner adds a Hula Bowl appearance to a resume that includes 2023 Army-Navy Game, 2024 Independence Bowl, and 2025 Fenway Bowl MVP awards as well as a 2024 All-American Conference Honorable Mention. The co-captain ends his career with 232 career tackles, 83 coming this year. On Saturday, Fortner will follow a long line of star Army linebackers who ended their careers in the Hula Bowl as well.
It's Game Week for Kalib Fortner 👏
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) January 6, 2026
He'll be competing in the Hula Bowl this Saturday at 12 p.m. in DeLand, Fla., on CBS Sports Network.
MORE → https://t.co/fMEAXJ2TJo pic.twitter.com/ZZcKRcFDxx
LB Jim Gentile was the first Army linebacker to earn a Hula Bowl nod, appearing in the game after the 1984 season. While many Army fans remember the 1984 team for its perfection of the wishbone offense, Gentile led a solid defensive unit that allowed just 19 points per game. Gentile followed a 134-tackle 1983 campaign with 117 tackles on Army’s 8-3-1 1984 Cherry Bowl team, the first in program history to play in a bowl game. In that Cherry Bowl, Gentile recovered a fumble on the Michigan State 46 yard line that set up Army’s lone touchdown drive in what became a 10-6 win. Gentile’s 376 career tackles remains second all-time in Army Football program history.
LB Jason Miller made the Hula Bowl in 1994 after recording 47 tackles and tallying one sack in 1993, his firstie year. Miller capped a career that saw him go 3-1 against Navy.
Seven years later, MLB Lyle Weaver appeared in the Hula Bowl in 2001. Despite being undersized for a middle linebacker at 5’11”, 229 pounds, he might just be the greatest defensive playmaker in program history.
Weaver burst onto the scene with a monster 1998 season where he had 118 tackles, including 15 tackles for loss. His 1998 campaign included a blocked punt against #18 Notre Dame, a game that the 3-8 Black Knights lost just 20-17 on a field goal in the final minute. Weaver’s efforts helped Army play one of only two games against Notre Dame decided by a single score since the program’s last win against the Irish way back in 1958.
In 1999, Weaver put up 112 tackles and five forced fumbles, a figure still tied for the Army single-season record. For reference, Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez finished fifth in the Heisman voting this year with 128 tackles and seven forced fumbles. Weaver’s 1999 campaign was truly one of the greatest defensive seasons in Army history.
Weaver also returned two interceptions for touchdowns in his career, a number that trails only Heisman winner Doc Blanchard’s four career pick-sixes for most in Army history. Despite an injury-riddled 2000 season, he still earned a spot in the Hula Bowl and the attention from NFL scouts. Sadly, he passed away from leukemia in 2020, but his legacy lives on in the program’s annals.
Credit: 2011 Army Football Media Guide
LB Cason Shrode earned a spot in the Hula Bowl after the 2006 season. Shrode was one of a few bright spots on an Army team that went just 3-9 that year, totaling 104 tackles from his middle linebacker spot. Eleven of those tackles came against #5 Notre Dame in a 41-9 loss at South Bend.
Finally, recent Army legend MLB Jon Rhattigan made the Hula Bowl after the 2020 season in the game’s second year back from dormancy. Rhattigan owns one of the most dramatic rises in recent program history. In his first three years with the program, he notched just six tackles while sitting behind James Nachtigal, Cole Christiansen, and Arik Smith at middle linebacker.
However, Rhattigan made the most of his opportunity as a first-time starter in 2020. He totaled 78 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, and two interceptions on an Army team that went 9-3 with a Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy win and an appearance in their first-ever Liberty Bowl. The 2020 defense allowed just 14.8 points per game, the lowest per game total since 1968. Unfortunately, Rhattigan and a host of other key contributors did not play in the Liberty Bowl against West Virginia due to COVID-19, making that game one of the biggest “what-ifs” in program history.
Army Football alum Jon Rhattigan is putting in the work with the @Panthers as he gears up for Year 2 in Carolina! 💪👊
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) June 24, 2025
📸 @Panthers pic.twitter.com/PBprcRdHE2
Despite his status as a relatively late bloomer, Rhattigan parlayed his breakout firstie season and subsequent Hula Bowl appearance into a lengthy career. Still active this year, he has carved a niche as a reliable special teams contributor with 50 career tackles for the Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, and Las Vegas Raiders.
The Hula Bowl may have moved from Hawai’i to Florida, but its penchant for inviting standout Army linebackers has never wavered. Now Kalib Fortner looks to continue this tradition and perhaps earn a real NFL shot this Saturday.
Special thanks to the 2025 Army Football Media Guide and more specifically, Army Director of Football Communications/Assistant AD, Eric Szczepinski for personally emailing me Jason Miller’s 1993 stats from the 1994 football media guide.
