追梦赤子心

鲁迪是一个平凡的人，他个子小，成绩差，但对橄榄球赛非常狂热，梦想着进入圣母大学那传奇的橄榄球队。在他少年时，就入迷地模仿电视里的教练训练球队的样子，就像着了魔一样。 但是，想进圣母大学的橄榄球队并不是那么简单的事情。“这是不可能的事情。”几乎每个人都这样对鲁迪说。 是的，是人，一个有点理智的人，都会毫不犹豫地断定，鲁迪是不可能成为一名圣母大学学生的。仅从成绩上，鲁迪就败了。更不用说他的经济状况。他几乎很少及格，在公民学的课堂上，他想着橄榄球，发呆。老师对他没报什么希望，甚至对鲁迪的行为有些讽刺：“梦想家的问题在于，他们常常不是实践者，他们的成就仅存在于脑中，但说到实际的，他们就不行了！” 也是，我们生活中确实存在太多的梦想家了，而且是沉醉在自己的美梦中，常常醒不过来。有些人，甚至是一辈子。 我就是一个。因为自己不是很重视现实的情况，一直傻傻地认为自己可以在高考中逆袭。现在悄悄地问自己一句：“你凭什么？拿什么去逆袭？就因为你小学的成绩全校最好？还是因为初中的成绩全校最好？”况且你有时候还不是最好的。都过去了，沉醉在那里？那个美丽而虚幻的泡沫？那事实是什么？就是，离自己的梦想越来越远了。

鲁迪被高高抬起

电影《追梦赤子心》原名为《Rudy》，Rudy，即鲁迪，为影片的主人公。影片表现正是鲁迪追逐梦想的赤子之心。鲁迪就出生在一个喜爱橄榄球，特别是喜爱圣母大学橄榄球队的普通家庭里，但遗憾的是鲁迪生就没有成为一名优秀橄榄球队员，特别是圣母大学橄榄球队队员的禀赋，他没有魁梧健壮的身材，也缺乏考取圣母的天资，有的是对橄榄球痴心爱和对圣母大学橄榄球队的衷心向往，以致于上课时也常常做着橄榄球的白日梦，以致于学校组织学生参观圣母大学时被老师拦在了大巴车下，以致于高中毕业落榜后象身边的大多数人一样进入钢铁厂工作。这个梦就成了他一个人的梦而埋藏心间。直到他22岁生日那天，最好的朋友彼得送他一件印有圣母大学标记的外套，才又唤醒他埋藏的梦。没几天，彼得在钢铁厂遭遇意外事故，彼得被钢水火化的火红身影彻底点燃了鲁迪心中的梦，由此，一个人的梦就变成了不仅仅属于他自己的梦想，至少也有死去的彼得对他的期待。

彼得的葬礼还没结束，鲁迪就辞掉工作，放弃已到谈婚论嫁的爱情，背起最简单的行囊，带上他积攒不多的钱，在家人，在身边朋友，在恋人怀疑的目光中，毅然决然向圣母大学进发。在圣母大学附近教堂神父的帮助下，他进入圣十字学院攻读2年预科，通过努力考取圣母大学且进入了学校橄榄球队，6年时间，他一天也没放弃梦想，一天也没放弃努力，终于在毕业前夕，他获得了上场的机会，在球场几万人“Rudy、Rudy、Rudy”的狂呼中，比赛结束前27秒，鲁迪终于如愿以偿，获得了上场的机会并和队友们一起大比分战胜对手。比赛结束时，队友们将鲁迪高高抬起，以示尊重，表达喜悦。圣母大学橄榄球场自1975年以来再没发生此类壮举。鲁迪考取圣母大学并取得如此大的荣誉极大地鼓舞了他的兄弟姐妹们。随后，鲁迪的5个弟弟都考取了圣母大学，实现了这个家庭美好的梦想。

从鲁迪的身上，我们看到了梦与梦想的不同，看到了梦想的特质：梦想不仅仅属于一个人，它还属于其他人；梦想不是简简单单的，它是将“不可能”变成“可能”；梦想不是轻而易得的，它是血汗和泪水换来的。

梦是自己的，比如你经常做的白日梦；比如你夜间睡着时梦见自己会飞，梦见自己通过了一次考试，梦见自己找到了洗手间解决了尿急问题等等。这些是你个人的、眼前的、没有付诸实践的意识，它只是一个梦，不是梦想。梦想往往是远大的、付诸努力才能实现的、不仅仅属于你个人的一种强烈的不灭的意识。当你自己曾经或他人认为你“不可能”实现的梦，而你经过不懈努力实现了，这个普普通通的梦就变成了价值连城的梦想。鲁迪初到圣十字学院及圣母大学时，神父、教练以及黑人球工就曾经试探过鲁迪对圣母大学及橄榄球队的追求，到底是梦还是梦想。当他们获知鲁迪的目标是要将“不可能”变成”可能”时，他们接纳他、帮助他、成全他并成为他人生的导师。因为他们知道：当人有了梦想，就有了人生的方向，就有了前进的动力，就有了追梦所必需的赤子之心，即信心、决心、专心、恒心和耐心。鲁迪一旦有了梦想，他就完完全全被梦想驱动。吃住再苦不算苦，只要能在橄榄球场上奔跑。考试没得A不害怕，鼓起勇气再用功。没能上场不气馁，含泪拼搏再努力。在圣十字学院，我们看到鲁迪一次次去拿圣母大学的来信，然而一次次是圣母大学正在审核之中……在鲁迪有些恢心的时刻，他记起神父所说的话“上帝是存在的。我不是上帝。”他懂得，要考取圣母大学，外人帮不了，只有依靠自己，靠自己去努力。没能考取，只能说明努力还不够。自己认为已够努力了，可上帝还不认可。于是鲁迪又加强了学习的强度、力度和忍耐度，皇天不负有心人，鲁迪终于在圣十字学院结业前夕拿到了圣母大学的录取通知书。当他把通知书送到他父亲面前时，他父亲激动得流下了热泪，并在钢铁厂广播室里向全厂宣布了这一令人激动的消息。鲁迪的梦想也是他爸的梦想、是鲁迪全家的梦想、是钢铁厂的梦想、是整个城镇的梦想。

如果说，鲁迪考取圣母大学还算不上极大的挑战，那么从圣母大学橄榄球场边的隧道跑入球场就不能不说是一个非常非常大的挑战。要不是鲁迪对橄榄球的痴心和决心感动教练，仅就其自身条件想成为圣母大学橄榄球队队员都难，更不要说代表学校上场比赛，因为供教练选择的好条件的队员太多太多。鲁迪深知，他必须付出常人所付不出的努力。他深知成功的大厦是由一块一块失败的砖砌成的，所以他不怕失败。他常常被撞得鼻青脸肿，常常被撞得短暂昏迷，常常被讥笑讽刺。但他始终没有放弃，撞倒了爬起来，撞伤了抓紧治，讥讽来微笑迎，不离不弃地努力训练。年复一年，月复一月，日复一日。四年即将过去，他在公布的上场名单中还是找不到自己的名字。眼看，他离校前的最后一场比赛即将打响，队友、助理教练、主教练，也许还有上帝，终于被鲁迪的顽强拼搏精神和不离不弃的作风所感动，上场名单上出现了“Rudy”。开赛这天，鲁迪穿上圣母大学的球衣，率队从隧道口跑进球场，他的兴奋之情溢于言表。但比赛异常激烈，主教练用人又十分谨慎，鲁迪到比赛快结束时仍没获得上场允许。呼唤鲁迪上场的呼声首先从队友中响起，然后到场外，最后到观众席，“RudyRudyRudy”的呼喊声响彻整个运动场，在比赛还剩下最后27秒时，鲁迪被允许冲上球场，用他矮壮的身体扑向他的对手，完成了他的使命，实现了他的梦想。鲁迪虽然没有成为一名主力队员，更不要说成为一名球星，但他为实现梦想而敢于舍弃一切乃至生命的精神感动着亲人、队友、教练、校友、观众以及今天成千上万的影迷，这种精神赢得了出场比赛的27秒，赢得了全场的尊重，赢得了圣母大学的尊重。

鲁迪实现了追梦赤子的心愿。追梦赤子心，不仅要有梦，还必须要有赤子心。没有赤子之心，追梦就是一句戏言，梦想也不可能实现。

梦也就永远都是一个梦。

Rudy Ruettiger

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia(Redirected from Daniel Ruettiger)Rudy RuettigerRuettiger (45) at 1975 Georgia Tech gameNotre Dame Fighting IrishNo.45PositionDefensive endClass1976MajorSociologyCareer historyCollege

• Holy Cross College (1972–1974)
• Notre Dame (1974–1976)

High schoolJoliet (IL) CatholicPersonal informationDate of birthAugust 23, 1948 (age68)Place of birthJoliet, IllinoisHeight5ft 6in (1.68m)Weight165lb (75kg)Career highlights and awardsThe first player to have been carried off the field at Notre Dame. Played only two defensive snaps recording one sack.

Daniel Eugene "Rudy" Ruettiger (born August 23, 1948) is a motivational speaker who played college football at the University of Notre Dame. His early life and career at Notre Dame was the inspiration for the 1993 film Rudy.

Contents

[hide]

• 1Early life and college career
• 2After college
• 3SEC investigation
• 4Publications
• 5Awards
• 6Movie Accuracy
• 7Notes
• 8References
• 9External links

Early life and college career[edit]

Daniel Ruettiger (nicknamed "Rudy") had a hard time in school because he was dyslexic. He was the third of fourteen children. He attended Joliet Catholic High School, where he played for locally famous coach Gordie Gillespie. 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. He applied to Notre Dame, but due to his marginal grades he had to do his early college work at nearby Holy Cross College.

After two years at Holy Cross, Ruettiger was accepted as a student at Notre Dame on his fourth try, in the fall of 1974. It was during his time studying at Holy Cross that Ruettiger discovered he had dyslexia.

Ruettiger harbored a dream to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, despite being undersized at merely 5'6" and 165 pounds.[1]Head coach Ara Parseghian encouraged walk-on players from the student body. For example, Notre Dame's 1969 starting center, Mike Oriard, was a walk-on who was eventually nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship and an NFL contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.[2][3]

After working as hard as possible and showing that he was willing to work as much as he needed to, Ruettiger earned a place on the Notre Dame scout team, a practice squad that helps the varsity team practice for games. Merv Johnson was the coach who was instrumental in keeping Rudy on as a scout-team player.

After the 1974 season, Notre Dame coach Parseghian stepped down, and former Green Bay Packers coach Dan Devine was named head coach. In Ruettiger's last opportunity to play for Notre Dame at home, Devine put him into a game as defensive endagainst Georgia Tech on November 8, 1975. In the movie Rudy, Devine is given a somewhat antagonistic role, not wanting Rudy to dress for his last game. However, in actuality, it was Devine who came up with the idea to dress Rudy. In the final play of Ruettiger's senior season with the Fighting Irish, he recorded a sack,[4] which is all his Notre Dame stat line has ever shown. Ruettiger actually played for three plays.[4] The first play was a kickoff,[4] the second play was an incomplete pass, and on the third (and final) play he sacked[4] Georgia Tech quarterback Rudy Allen.[5] Ruettiger was carried off the field by his teammates following the game.

Ruettiger signing autographs after speaking at Ohio University, January 2010

Ruettiger was one of two players in Notre Dame history to ever be carried off the field by his teammates. The other is Marc Edwards.[6][7]

After college[edit]

The inaugural 2007 College Football Rudy Award was held on January 8, 2008 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.[8] 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 C's": character, courage, contribution, and commitment as a member of their team.[9] The 2007 award was presented to Terry Clayton of the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the 2008 award was presented to Drew Combs of the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. The 2009 award-winner was LeVon Morefield of University of Akron Zips, and in 2010 it went to Mark Herzlich of the Boston CollegeEagles.

On October 14, 2005, Ruettiger was the master of ceremonies at a pep rally for Notre Dame Football. The Fighting Irish were about to play rival and then #1-ranked University of Southern California (USC) the following day and Head Coach Charlie Weis asked some Notre Dame legends, including Tim Brown and Joe Montana, to come back and speak at the rally. Ruettiger came out of the tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium to a loud ovation.[10] Notre Dame ultimately lost the game.

In July 2009, Ruettiger was initiated into the Kappa Sigma Fraternity at the Grand Conclave in San Antonio, Texas.[11]

In September 2009, Trusted Sports and Rudy launched the High School Football 'Rudy' Awards, which aims to uncover the "Rudy" on every High School football team in America. The award is presented to the most inspirational High School football player who personifies what Rudy calls "The Four C's": Courage, Character, Commitment, and Contribution. Inspired by the College Football Rudy Awards, three finalists were announced on February 3, 2010. The winner, Calob Leindecker of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, received a college scholarship totalling $10,000. Two runners-up, Kyle Weafer of Kansas and Justin Ray Duke of Texas each received $5,000 scholarships.

Ruettiger's story was told in the 1993 film Rudy, which starred actor Sean Astin in the title role as Rudy. The film was written by Angelo Pizzo, directed by David Anspaugh and produced by Rob Fried, both of whom were involved in Hoosiers. Ruettiger appeared in a cameo as a fan behind Rudy's father and brother during the final scene.[12]

Rudy was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 21, 2017.[13]

SEC investigation[edit]

In 2011, Ruettiger was charged with security fraud by the SEC, for participating in a pump-and-dump scheme. A settlement of the case required Ruettiger to pay $382,866 in fines.[14]

Publications[edit]

• Rudy's Insights for Winning in Life ISBN 978-0-9658119-1-0
• Rudy's Lessons for Young Champions ISBN 978-0-9658119-0-3
• Rudy & Friends ISBN 978-1-880692-39-4

Awards[edit]

• Honorary Doctorate Degree from Our Lady of Holy Cross College
• The key to numerous cities across the nation along with special proclamations for his inspiration, commitment, and human spirit
• Honorary assist to the Attorney General of Louisiana
• Recognition from President George W. Bush
• Recognition at the White House
• Recognition from the House of Representatives in the state of Texas
• A Proclamation from the Governor of Nevada granting an Official Rudy Award Day

Movie Accuracy[edit]

This section may need to be rewritten entirely to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. You can help. The discussion page may contain suggestions. (April 2015)

Ruettiger has said that the movie is "98% true." The players did not lay down their jerseys, instead the captain requested that he be on the team. Also, Dan Devine is given an antagonistic role in the film; the coach was actually one of his biggest motivators to return to the team. Ruettiger has stated that there was not a "Rudy" chant during the final game, although in an interview for The True Rudy Story he begins crying when recalling how the crowd chanted "Rudy" (5:18 minutes into the video).[15] The groundskeeper and former player Fortune is a combination of three different people.

Notes[edit]

1. Jump up ^ Ruettiger's stats on his official website. Rudyint.com. Retrieved on April 19, 2012.
2. Jump up ^ It's Not All Fun and Games: college athletics, Notre Dame Magazine Online, summer 2002 at the Wayback Machine (archived December 14, 2007)
3. Jump up ^ [1]
4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Video of final three plays on YouTube (August 26, 2006). Retrieved on 2012-04-19.
5. Jump up ^ Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger recording the final sack for Notre Dame against Georgia Tech on November 8th, 1975 on YouTube
6. Jump up ^ Rudy Chasing the Frog. Chasingthefrog.com (February 25, 1971). Retrieved on 2012-04-19.
7. Jump up ^ Dick Weiss, SLIGHTING IRISH HURTS ALLEGED USC TAUNTS INSPIRE NOTRE DAME
8. Jump up ^ Rudy Award winner 2007 at the Wayback Machine (archived October 20, 2009). rudyawards.com
9. Jump up ^ The Rudy Award at the Wayback Machine (archived March 5, 2009). rudyawards.com
10. Jump up ^ "One for the ages: USC edges Notre Dame: Leinart pulls trickery with 3 seconds left, Bush scores 3 TDs in 34–31 win"; msnbc.com. MSNBC. Retrieved on April 19, 2012.
11. Jump up ^ 67th Grand Conclave – Kappa Zeta For Outstanding Year 2008 – 2009. Kappasigmagsu.com. Retrieved on April 19, 2012.
12. Jump up ^ "Rudy (1993) – Full Cast and Crew"; imdb.com
13. Jump up ^ Winn, Andrew. "Notre Dame Football: Real Life Rudy Is Now A Mormon". SB Nation. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
14. Jump up ^ "Rudy Ruettiger: I Shouldn't Have Been Chasing The Money" Forbes Magazine, 6/11/2012
15. Jump up ^ "The True Rudy Story Part 2, at 5:18"; youtube.com. youtube.com. Retrieved on June 20, 2016.

References[edit]

• Pagna, Tom, "Notre Dame's Era of Ara", Diamond Communications, Inc., 1976, ISBN 0-912083-74-3, pp 182–183, regarding Parseghian's use of walk-ons.
• http://www.rudyinternational.com/true-story