Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger

        Can you imagine living your entire life having a dream? Now can you imagine yourself living your entire life with that same dream, but having everyone in the world telling you that you'll never achieve it? That you'll never amount to anything? To quit dreaming and get back to work. That's how Daniel Ruettiger felt with his dream- to play football for the University of Notre Dame. Was it easy? Of course not. Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger achieved his dream because of hard work, determination, and an incredible amount of heart.

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        Rudy worked unbelievably hard just to get into Notre Dame. Then he worked an incredible amount harder to get onto the football team. After he accomplished all of that, he still wasn't finished! He worked and worked until he finally got to play in a game- the last play of the last game of his senior year. It was then that five foot six inch Rudy Ruettiger broke through the line and changed history, sacking the quarterback. He left the field on his teammates' shoulders, with an adoring home crowd chanting, "Ru-dy! Ru-dy! Ru-dy!" He was the first and only Notre Dame football player to be carried off the field by his teammates, and definitely the only one that had demonstrated enough determination to deserve the honor.

Determination played a huge role throughout the course of Rudy's journey. It definitely wasn't easy. His first hurdle may have been the hardest- his grades. He wasn't smart enough to get into Notre Dame, which meant he had absolutely no chance of achieving his dream. He didn't even go to college straight out of high school. He worked in the United States Navy, before he left and got a job at a power plant. Rudy had all but given up on his dream, before Pete, his best friend and biggest supporter died in an explosion at the power plant where they both worked. Rudy then decided to attempt enrolling at Notre Dame to honor his friend. But of course, his grades weren't good enough to attend the college, due to his undiagnosed dyslexia. From there, he tried getting himself into Notre Dame as a transfer student. He ended up receiving three letters of rejection before he finally got his grades up and was accepted. From there, Rudy still wasn't finished. He eventually achieved a spot on the scout team; running plays against the starters at practice. He worked and worked and worked for two years, without ever suiting up before he finally got his chance to play in a game, and to write his heart-moving story in the record books once and for all.

Rudy had heart. Anyone on his team could tell you that. He was one of those guys that treated practice like a bowl game, every day, and for every down. It had to have been the worst his senior year. Waiting all season for his chance, as he watched juniors, sophomores, and even freshman taking his spot in the games. But Rudy still pressed on, determined to get his chance. No matter what it took. His perseverance finally paid off, at the very end of his last game to ever witness as a player. With 27 seconds left, coach put him in, and five foot six inch Rudy Ruettiger made history. On the last play of the game, he plowed through the line and sacked Georgia Tech's quarterback, clinching the win and making history.

        Twenty-seven seconds. One play. One dream achieved. Rudy overcame all the odds, every hardship, and leaped every hurdle. He wasn't finished. He got his degree and became a motivational speaker, encouraging people around the world to achieve their dreams, like he did. Through the power of hard work, determination, and an incredible amount of heart.