The legendary film Rudy (1993) is one of the greatest sports movies based on a true story, raising the question of where the actual Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) is today. The iconic underdog story tells the tale of an unlikely but ionate football player whose biggest dream was to play on the prestigious University of Notre Dame football team. Despite facing several obstacles and widespread doubt regarding his limited physical stature, Rudy defies the odds and ends up appearing in the last home game of his senior year.

As with many sports movies based on true stories, there are inaccuracies in the film regarding what really happened with Rudy Ruettiger. For example, the "Rudy!" chant didn't start until after Rudy was already in the game and made the final sack. Also, Coach Devine was not against Rudy playing in a game and ultimately made that decision. The real Rudy did, however, record that amazing sack for the Fighting Irish against Georgia Tech in Notre Dame's final home game that season, marking the only official stat that Rudy recorded in his collegiate football career.

What Rudy Ruettiger Did After Graduating From Notre Dame In 1976

Rudy Brought His Own Story To Hollywood's Attention

Rudy graduated from Notre Dame in 1976 feeling as though he had accomplished his lifelong dream at the age of 25. After the remarkable moment in which he was carried off the field by his teammates, the first Notre Dame player to have ever received that honorable treatment, Rudy was determined to share his story. He developed a new dream of bringing his historic accomplishment to Hollywood, eager to follow in the footsteps of other successful major sports movies at the time such as Sylvester Stallone's Rocky.

After graduation, the real-life Rudy started up a maintenance company and also sold real estate. He moved back to live in South Bend, Indiana near the University of Notre Dame's campus in 1986, working at a local car dealership in the area. Ruettiger was eventually able to land a meeting with Angelo Pizzo to pitch his idea for Rudy, who ended up writing the script.

Pizzo was famous for penning the screenplay for the legendary Gene Hackman basketball movie Hoosiers. Rudy's opportunity to meet with Pizzo reportedly came out of a serendipitous encounter with a postman in Malibu who was able to connect them (via The Ringer).

Why Rudy Ruettiger Sold His Football Story To Become A Movie

The Movie's Success Led To New Opportunities For Rudy

Rudy Ruettiger sold the rights to his legendary football story in 1986 because of his endless determination to see the story on the big screen. Directed by David Anspaugh and starring Sean Astin in the lead role, Rudy would ultimately become one of the best underdog movies of all time. Rudy had known since that incredible real-life moment at Notre Dame that his tale was the foundation of the classic Hollywood story.

Rudy believed that his story could inspire other hopeful dreamers who were on the brink of giving up. The miraculous achievements of the fictionalized Rudy prove exactly why giving up on one's dreams should never be an option. Before the film was released in 1993, Rudy's career was somewhat aimless. He would take odd jobs such as lawn mowing and snow shoveling just to make a living. After the film premiered, he was able to develop a new career as a motivational speaker, philanthropist, and recently a pastor.

What Rudy Ruettiger Is Doing Now

Rudy's Real-Life Career Has Had Ups And Downs

The real Rudy Ruettiger has worn many professional hats since the 1993 premiere of his film, not all of them as honorable as his onscreen performance on the Notre Dame football field. Ruettiger started a nutrition and beverage product company called Rudy Nutrition, designed to compete with products like Gatorade with the tagline "Dream Big! Never Quit!"

However, in 2011, the SEC charged Ruettiger with securities fraud for his participation in a pump-and-dump scheme that accrued $11 million in illicit profits. Rudy Nutrition misled investors and inflated its stock price with inaccurate testing data. He was required to pay $382,866 in fines as part of a settlement (via Forbes).

Ruettiger went on to become a professional motivational speaker and author of his 2011 memoir Rudy: My Story. In 2017, he was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Highland, Utah. Ruettiger, now 76, travels the country as a pastor and motivational speaker. He has overseen the Rudy Foundation since 1997, a nonprofit organization that offers scholarships to college students in education, sports, and performing arts. 30 years after Rudy's release, the real-life impact on the film lives on.

How Much Did The Movie Change Rudy's Story?

Some Of The Movie Villains Were Unhappy With The Changes

The true story of Rudy Ruettiger is a fascinating one on its own, but just like all movies based on true stories, Hollywood sought to change some details in order to sell the story better as a movie. Many of these changes were made to help make Rudy appear like more of an underdog, including the fact that he was working on a ship in the military before Notre Dame, not at his local steel mill. As such, Rudy's tuition was paid for by the military and he was not struggling in that aspect as seen in the movie.

Rudy was actually a small underdog in two sports simultaneously while at Notre Dame, as he was part of the school's boxing program. This would have been an interesting area to explore and further show Rudy's determined spirit, but it would also have taken away from the football aspects. There are also some key characters in the movie who don't actually exist. While Rudy had a whopping 13 siblings, none were named Frank as seen in the movie with Rudy's brother who gives him a hard time. Likewise, the thoughtful mentor, Fortune (Charles S. Dutton), wasn't real.

Some of the most shocking changes made in the movie come from characters who are depicted negatively. Rudy's father comes off as unlikable and unive, which is far from reality, but Rudy Ruettiger's real father allowed for the changes to be made to better serve his son's story. Similarly, Coach Dan Devine was seen as the final obstacle preventing Rudy from playing. In reality, Devine made it clear that every player was going to get the chance to play.

Devine was reportedly especially angry about the scene in which the players protested not letting Rudy play by ceremoniously turning in their jerseys, something that also never happened (via ESPN).