What “Rudy” tells us about perseverance and humbleness.
Since was a little kid, Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) pursued the dream to become a Notre Dame football player. Despite the family and friends skepticism, his best friend Peter (Christopher Reed) was the only one supporting and gave to him an old Fighting Irish varsity jacket.
When Peter died, Rudy determined to quit the steel mill job and follow his dream towards to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Although his grades couldn’t be made it possible, Father Cavanaugh (Robert Prosky) gave him an opportunity to study at the Holly Cross College to reach the Notre Dame. He could see himself as a Notre Dame student.
Though, Rudy wasn’t satisfied at all. Introduced himself to the coach Ara Parseghian (Jason Miller) and he got a job as a janitor of the football stadium. The director David Anspaugh exposed through Rudy’s ambitions and frustrations that he was doing everything proving to everyone that a boy coming from a middle class can reach the top-class university of the United States. Rudy: a 5'7 and 165 pounds cornerback that never step back in front of a giant offensive line. The David versus Goliath biblical story couldn’t fit better than Rudy’s real life.
The article written by David Brown called Entrepreneurs: Why You Shouldn’t Ever Take No for an Answer explained how Rudy succeeded becoming a Notre Dame student and football player as the first player carried off the field by his teammates on the history of the University. The reason is: he never received NO as an answer. He could listen to his father, the brothers’ mockery and give up because of the school grades.
However, as a Christian boy and Fighting Irish fanatic, Rudy was devoted to chasing his only dream that brought a meaning to his life. Helping everyone around, contacting Ara Parseghian, the priest Cavanaugh and working as a janitor was the ways that he tackled the many rejections coming from mailbox number 620. The Rudy’s persistence resulted in being one of the most inspiring and humble that the Class of 1975 saw.
“You’re 5 foot nothing, a hundred and nothing, you’ve got hardly a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in there with the best college football team in the land for two years. And you’re also gonna walk outta here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this lifetime, you don’t have to prove nothing to nobody except yourself. And after what you’ve gone through, if you haven’t done that by now, it ain’t gonna never happen. Now go on back.” — Fortune
The iconic quote from the janitor Fortune encouraging Rudy to not quit the team when he struggles to play during the senior year brought many memories of what the number 45 has done so far. Fortune, a fictional character, and former Notre Dame player revealed that he quitted and remorse every day from that decision. He was avoiding the boy to end as himself.
Although the roster knew Rudy’s potential, Dan Devine for some reason, waited for the last game against Georgia Tech to put the defensive player on the field. Everyone he wished was at the stands, except Peter, cheering for him making history tackling Georgia’s quarterback on the last second of the game. The dream came true. Rudy Ruettiger helped his boyhood football club. He was complete and proud of what has done.
