1. Daniel Eugene Ruettiger was born on August 23,1948 and is an American motivational speaker and author who played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
18 Facts About Rudy Ruettiger
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Daniel Eugene Ruettiger was born on August 23,1948, in Joliet, Illinois.
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Rudy Ruettiger was the third of 14 children and grew up with his German American family.
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Rudy Ruettiger did not excel scholastically, at least in part due to dyslexia.
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Rudy Ruettiger attended Joliet Catholic High School and played for locally famous football coach Gordie Gillespie.
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Rudy Ruettiger joined the United States Navy after high school, serving as a yeoman on a communications command ship for two years; then he worked in a power plant for two years.
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Rudy Ruettiger applied to Notre Dame and was rejected due to his low high school grades.
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Rudy Ruettiger enrolled and attended nearby Holy Cross College, and after two years was accepted as a student at Notre Dame on his fourth try, in the fall of 1974.
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Rudy Ruettiger was carried off the field by his teammates following the game, the first player in Notre Dame history to be honored in this way.
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Rudy Ruettiger set up a successful maintenance company and sold real estate.
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Rudy Ruettiger appeared in a cameo as a fan behind his father, played by Ned Beatty, during the final game scenes.
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In 2017, at age 68, Rudy Ruettiger was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Highland, Utah.
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On October 14,2005, Rudy Ruettiger appeared at a pep rally before the 2005 USC vs Notre Dame football game, which Notre Dame ultimately lost in the last few seconds.
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The inaugural 2007 College Football Rudy Ruettiger Award was held on January 8,2008, at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.
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The College Football Rudy Award was created by the Rudy Foundation and honors Division I football players who demonstrate what Ruettiger refers to as the "Four Cs": character, courage, contribution, and commitment as a member of their team.
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In July 2009, Rudy Ruettiger was initiated into the Kappa Sigma fraternity at the Grand Conclave in San Antonio, Texas.
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Rudy Ruettiger received honorary doctoral degrees from Holy Cross College, Mercy University, and Long Island University.
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Rudy Ruettiger has been given key to the city at numerous cities across the nation along with special proclamations for his inspiration, commitment, and human spirit; one such proclamation from the Governor of Nevada announced an Official Rudy Award Day.