Daniel Eugene "Rudy" Ruettiger (Sean Astin) grows up in Joliet, IL dreaming of playing college football at the University of Notre Dame. Though he is achieving some success with his local high school team (Joliet Catholic), he lacks the grades and money necessary to attend Notre Dame, as well as the talent and physical stature to play football for one of the best football programs in the country. he was always told he wouldn 't ever make it, but after a tragic accident when Pete (Rudys best friend) played by Robert J. Steinmiller Jr. dies in a steel mill accident his last words to him being, “If you 're gonna do it, do it now.” travels to South Bend, Indiana to the campus but fails to get admitted to Notre Dame. With the help and …show more content…
After numerous rejections, Rudy is finally admitted to Notre Dame during his final semester of transfer eligibility. He rushes home to tell his family, with his father announcing the news to his steel mill workers over the loudspeaker. Rudy persuades Fortune to promise to come see his first game if Rudy is permitted to suit up. After walking as a non-scholarship player for the football team, Ruettiger convinces coach Parseghian to give him a spot on the practice squad. An assistant coach warns the players that 35 "scholarship" players will not even make the "dress roster" of players who take the field during the games but notices that Ruettiger exhibits more drive than many of his scholarship teammates. Coach Parseghian agrees to Rudy 's request to suit up for one home game in his senior year so his family and friends can see him as a member of the team. However, Parseghian steps down as coach following the 1974 season and is replaced by former NFL coach Dan Devine. Coach Devine doesn 't know about the promise Parseghian made to Rudy, all he’s worried about it making it to the national championship. Fortune sees Rudy at the stadium and asks why he is not at practice, then chastises Rudy for giving up. Rudy learns for the first time that Fortune has seen his share of Notre Dame games because he was once on the team but has never seen one from the stands. Fortune had quit the team because he felt he was not playing due to his skin color. Fortune reminds Rudy that he has