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PODCAST EPISODE 87 WITH RUDY REUTTIGER:
Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger was born in Joliet, Illinois. He spent one year in the United States Navy following high school. Rudy worked for a power plant before applying to Notre Dame. Due to marginal grades, he completed his early college work at Holy Cross College before finally being accepted to Notre Dame in 1974. Following his time at Notre Dame and the release of the movie “Rudy” in 1993, Rudy has served as a motivational speaker, traveling the country inspiring others through his story of determination.
For anyone who hasn’t seen the classic movie “Rudy”, Rudy Ruettiger grew up in a poor town outside Chicago. He was told over and over that he wouldn’t amount to anything, but he proved the naysayers wrong and – after lots of hard work – he beats the odds and got into Notre Dame. Rudy’s dream was to play Notre Dame football, and though he was not a ‘natural’ at the sport, his persistence, drive, and work ethic lead to him not only playing but being the first person to be carried off the field by their teammates at Notre Dame.
In this interview, Rudy Ruettiger talks about everything from inspiration to overcoming obstacles and offers actionable tips for the listeners who want to succeed at their dreams. If you have ever felt like your dreams were impossible or that you have insurmountable obstacles in your way, this is the podcast you need to hear! Rudy firms believes that if he can accomplish his dreams, anyone can.
About Rudy Ruettiger: 5:00
Rudy Ruettiger was born in 1948 in Joliet, Illinois into a lower class family of steel mill workers. Upon graduating from high school, Rudy worked at a power plant both before and after serving in the Navy. After losing his best friend in an industrial accident at the plant, Rudy decided to no longer waste time by putting off his dreams. He set out for the University of Notre Dame with hopes of one day playing football for the Fighting Irish.
After getting admitted into Holy Cross Junior College in South Bend, Rudy spent his time studying and working as a groundskeeper at Notre Dame's Knute Rockne Stadium. During his time at Holy Cross, Rudy learned that he suffered from a mild case of dyslexia, which may have contributed to his previous academic struggles. He worked around his disorder and received good grades during his two years at Holy Cross.
It took Rudy three semesters to be granted acceptance into Notre Dame as a transfer student. He almost didn't make it because Notre Dame does not accept seniors as transfer students. Rudy then won a spot on the scout team, against whom the varsity team ran its plays. Through two years of hard work, he earned the respect of the Fighting Irish players and coaches, and in the last home game of his senior year, Rudy dressed for the game. During the last moments of the game, Rudy tackled the Georgia Tech quarterback. Rudy Ruettiger later received his bachelor's degree in sociology from Notre Dame in 1976.
Rudy’s Life on the big screen: 14:00
The movie “Rudy” inspired thousands of people with its message of not giving up, getting up when you get hit hard, keep moving forward, don’t listen to the naysayers, persevere no matter what, and be persistent.
MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER: 27:35
Rudy entertains international corporate audiences with a unique, passionate, and heartfelt style of communicating. He reaches school children, university students, and professional athletes with the same enthusiasm, portraying the human spirit that comes from his personal experiences of adversity and triumph. His captivating personality and powerful message of "YES I CAN" stays with his audiences forever. Rudy's opening remarks receive thunderous applause and standing ovations from audiences of 200 to 20,000 people who emotionally chant "RU-DY, RU-DY!"
About the 4 C’s He lives by: 30:18
1. Commitment – Despite being told time and again that he could never be accepted as a Notre Dame student due to his poor grades (much less become a member of their football team because of his small size), Rudy never let anyone or anything stop him from achieving his dream. In the end he succeeded and showed the world and other men that no matter what limitations others place on you, your life is in your hands and you can achieve what you dream of.
2. Character – Rudy’s dreams didn’t end on the football field at Notre Dame. He believed that his story could inspire others so he worked for a decade to learn what he needed to know about the movie business and kept knocking on doors and telling his story until Hollywood made a movie about his life.
3. Courage – Rudy Ruettiger had been literally knocked down hundreds of times on the football field leaving him bloodied and bruised. Yet, each time he was knocked down – often by much larger players – he kept getting up and fighting back. This is a clear example that you don’t need to be a big man “physically” to be an alpha male.
4. Contribution – Rudy continues to help others achieve their goals through his speeches, training seminars, interviews and scholarship programs.
Rudy Ruettiger’s YouTube channel
