Rudy From Rudy (1993): Character

Rudy from Rudy (1993): Character profile

Back in the mid-1970s when Daniel 'Rudy' Ruettiger was in college, Notre Dame University was the unquestioned powerhouse of college football. But if Notre Dame was a Goliath, Rudy was a 'David,' a small, unremarkable high school player of only moderate talent, small in size, and lacking in either the academic preparation or the raw athletic talent necessary to gain entry to the coveted ranks of such an elite institution. Rudy did not even have the support of his family -- his father was hostile to the idea of his boy even going to college, much less a private college that tended to attract graduates of preparatory schools because of its high cost. Rudy was able to uphold within his heart a kind of quiet flame of self-esteem, even when his father told his son that Rudy's only dream in life should be to work in the steel mills, just like all of the other male Ruettigers.

The film suggests that the key to Rudy's success was that Rudy was the type of player motivated by his underdog status: someone as small as he was should not be playing football in the first place, so why not dream big? But Rudy was not merely a dreamer: he was also willing to take concrete steps to realize his goals. When advised to go to a lesser college so he could transfer to Notre Dame, he leapt at the offer. While Rudy was at Holy Cross, Father Cavanaugh supported Rudy's dreams as an almost religious calling. He told Rudy that only God knows what will happen in the future. Neither success nor failure is foreordained: all human beings can do is work and try their hardest. Rudy took this message to heart.

Eventually, Rudy was able to transfer to Notre Dame, during his last semester as an eligible transfer. He did a walk-on audition, and barely made the team. Of course, he was far from a starting player, and mostly 'warmed the bench' toiling on the team's practice squad that offered the 'real players' the opportunity to practice before games. At first, this was enough for Rudy. He even willingly took a part-time job to support his studies, working twice as hard as his classmates to excel in his schoolwork.

What is so striking about the Rudy of the film is the humbleness, realism, and intensity of his dream. He knows he will never be a starter for the NFL or even a star quarterback for the Fighting Irish. He simply wants to play, in no matter how humble a capacity. He is the ultimate 'internally motivated' participant, a true team player who still believes in himself even though his natural gifts are lackluster. However, this is not to say that Rudy is egoless. He has grown up in an environment where success in sports, above all else, is the source of an individual's self-esteem and place in the world. His father told him that as a blue-collar kid, he was not college material. His father even told his son that he did not have the brains to get into Notre Dame, much less the football talent.

Rudy's one source of self-confidence in high school was his ability on the playing field, even though he knew, relatively speaking that it was far from stellar. Although Rudy's motivation was largely internal, he was obviously affected by his Midwestern, American culture that placed a strong emphasis on big name, college athletics. In the 1970s, Notre Dame made a kind of religion of football, and this obviously had a tremendous impact upon Rudy's perspective.

Rudy's determination and love for the game made him an inspiration even to his more highly qualified teammates. Rudy's blind faith also drew inspiring mentors to his orbit: the presence of individuals who believed in him and gave him good advice counteracted some of the negative influences of his family. The groundskeeper with whom he worked joked: "Look at you. You're 5-foot-nothin' and you weigh a hundred and nothin', and with hardly a speck of athletic ability." However, that same groundskeeper showed his respect for the young man by allowing Rudy to sleep in his room, when Rudy could not afford his rent.

Over the course of the film, Rudy develops an extraordinary bond with various father figures, whom he can please even though his own working-class father thinks his dreams are insane. Also, the fact that the groundskeeper, allegorically named Fortune, is an African-American, cements his bond with Rudy. Both Rudy and Fortune are marginalized figures in the world of Notre Dame undergraduates. The school is largely populated by over-confident, hulking, white offensive linemen who pummel Rudy during practice. Fortune, unlike Rudy, was a talented football player. But Fortune faced an even more tragic obstacle: racism. "I rode the bench for two years thought I wasn't being played because of my color I got filled up with a lot of attitude so I quit, still not a week goes by I don't regret it, and I guarantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out letting them get the best of you. Do you hear me clear enough?" Rudy, awed with respect for Fortune, remained resolved to meet his goals, even during his darkest moments when he briefly considered quitting the team.

Rudy's determination to succeed become larger than football -- he sought to prove himself on the team, to show his father and all of the naysayers in his life that his quest was not in vain. Coach Ara Parseghian said: "I wish God would put your heart in some of my player's bodies." When Rudy experiences another setback -- Ara leaves at the end of Rudy's junior year, and it looks like Ara's successor Dan Devine will not honor Ara's promise -- other members of the team symbolically return their jerseys to the coach on his desk because they have come to respect Rudy. While Rudy eventually realizes he may never be as good as he hopes, he still wants play one game for the Irish before he graduates to show his family and friends that he has succeeded: "It is for everyone who told me that being a Norte Dame football player would be impossible. My brothers, the guys I work with at the mill they can't come to practice and see that I am a part of this team."