\u201cI always wanted to be part of something that means something, because that would mean I\u2019M somebody,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Ruettinger reflected. After filming the movie, Rudy continued to share his story. Currently, he is a motivational speaker who speaks to audiences about his experience in overcoming obstacles to drive home the message of hope.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He is also an author. His book, <\/span>Rudy<\/span><\/i>, an autobiography that takes the reader behind the scenes to experience the heartache, triumph, and glory of Rudy\u2019s life through his own eyes, was released in 2011. It also details the ten years it took to get the movie made.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rudy also now hosts his own podcast, <\/span>Rise Above With Rudy<\/span><\/i>, through which he continues to deliver his message of hope, perseverance, and self-reliance by sharing the amazing and inspiring true stories of everyday people as well as former athletes who have beaten the odds by choosing courage over adversity. He loves featuring guests who have made a difference in their own lives as well as the lives of others. Periodically, Rudy will also feature celebrities and pro athletes who share their own <\/span>\u201cRudy stories.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

He is also joined each week by Joe Garner, six-time <\/span>New York Times<\/span><\/i> bestselling author of numerous books including <\/span>Echoes of Notre Dame Football<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Unlike most self-improvement podcasts, Rudy\u2019s is truly entertaining despite the \u201cseriousness\u201d of the topics he covers: how to be a leader, how to be unstoppable, and how to overcome, to name a few. The underlying theme of every episode is constant: giving up is never an option. There is always hope, and we should always chase our dreams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rise Above With Rudy<\/span><\/i> touches people of all ages, young and old. <\/span>\u201cWe relate to everyone,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Ruettinger said, <\/span>\u201cbecause we bring it down to common sense.\u201d <\/span><\/i>Not only that, but Rudy goes the extra mile to support and act as a role model to young athletes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When he heard about a young girl from Louisiana feeling down about being benched by her basketball coach, Rudy gave her a call. His pep talk included advice about how she should really thank her coach for benching her, because he was actually preparing her for the real world by helping her build her character, learning to be a team player, and most of all, to never give up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to hear amazing stories that will inspire you to never lose hope, check out <\/span>Rise Above With Rudy<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

January 2021 Issue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Twenty-seven years ago, the iconic movie Rudy became an instant hit.\u00a0 Many sports fans know the story of Daniel Rudy Ruettiger, including how he was the first football player to be carried off the field at Notre Dame in 1975. Standing at only five foot six, Rudy had always dreamed of playing for Notre Dame.\u00a0 \u201cI wanted to be somebody\u2026 like everyone else wanted to be somebody,\u201d Ruettiger said.\u00a0 For the first time in this exclusive interview, Rudy shared his story of overcoming obstacles, playing for Notre Dame, and how his life experiences molded him into the person he is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":11889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[2502,2504,2506,2505,2503,2507,410],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n