Cale Hellums’ 41-carry performance in Saturday’s upset over Kansas State will end as one of the most heroic in Army Football history. His 41 carries were the most in program history, breaking Gerald Walker’s record set during a 40-carry effort against Harvard way back in 1981. Except that the record never belonged to Gerald Walker. Army’s Football Media Guide is wrong. Multiple newspaper reports and box scores from that 1981 Harvard day credit him with 38 carries for 150 yards, not 40.
So whose record is it anyway?
Hellums appreciation post:
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) September 7, 2025
41 carries
124 rushing yards
2 TDs
Leading the Black Knights’ ground game to victory. pic.twitter.com/Bn8NPHLBi8
The media guide should say it belongs to CJ Young, who carried the ball 39 times for 192 yards in a thrilling 42-35 win over Tulane back in 2001. This was Young’s magnum opus. He ran for 556 yards in 2001 before never playing again due to academic problems. But. The record doesn’t belong to him either.
One would have to go back nearly 60 years to find the real record holder, Lynn Moore. Moore fittingly set the record in the Army-Navy Game. After his backfield mate Charlie Jarvis overshadowed him in 1967 and 1968, Moore made the most of his opportunity as the feature back in 1969. Moore put together one of the most spectacular seasons in West Point history, setting a record for all-purpose yards that stands to this day. Moore totaled 1795 all-purpose yards: 983 rushing, 768 on kick and punt returns, and 44 receiving yards. Amazingly, he accomplished this feat in only 10 games.
Gallery via For What They Gave on Saturday.
Moore saved the best for last in 1969. He put together what should be a legendary 40-carry, 206-yard effort against the Midshipmen. He scored two touchdowns in Army’s 35-0 domination of Navy. This wound up becoming Army’s last shutout of Navy until 2020’s 15-0 win. Moore’s efforts in 1969 earned him a spot in the coveted College All-Star Game, which pitted college all-stars against the defending Super Bowl champions. Moore notched a single carry for five yards against the Super Bowl IV champion Kansas City Chiefs to end his career.
Despite never holding the single-game carries record, we should note that Gerald Walker had a career worth remembering. His story is arguably one of the most miraculous in Black Knights’ history. Walker quit football after his sophomore year in high school to focus on academics before enlisting in the Army. While serving in Korea, he received his appointment to attend West Point. He picked football back up at the Prep School.
Walker became one of the most underappreciated backs in Army history from 1979 to 1982. He ran for over 1000 yards on a Black Knights team with virtually no passing game in 1981. His quarterbacks that year averaged just over 100 yards per game and finished the year with a 5-to-16 TD-INT ratio. Walker finished his career second all-time in rushing, just 259 yards behind 1946 Heisman Trophy winner Glenn Davis with 2700 yards. His total remains eighth in program history.
Cale Hellums’ 41-carry performance may have helped right the ship for Army’s 2025 season. It also may have necessitated a much-needed audit of the Army’s Record Books.
Go Army! Beat North Texas!!!
