Rudy

Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger grows up in Joliet, Illinois, dreaming of playing college football at the University of Notre Dame. While achieving some success with his local high school football team (Joliet Catholic), Ruettiger lacks the grades and money to attend Notre Dame, not to mention talent and physical size. (The real Ruettiger was only 5'6" (1.67 m) and the film's fictional Rudy appears to be even smaller.)

Rudy takes a job at a local steel mill where his father Daniel Ruettiger, Sr. (a huge Notre Dame fan) works and he prepares to settle down. But when his best friend Pete is killed in an explosion at the mill, Rudy decides to follow his dream of attending Notre Dame and playing college football for the Fighting Irish.

He leaves for the Notre Dame campus in South Bend, Indiana against his blue collar father's warning that "Ruettigers don't belong at college." Rudy fails to get admitted to Notre Dame, but on the advice of a priest, Father Cavanaugh, he goes to a small junior college nearby, Holy Cross College, hoping to qualify for a transfer to the university. He also manages to get a part-time job on Notre Dame's groundskeeping staff to help pay his tuition.

During his final semester of transfer eligibility, Rudy is granted admission to Notre Dame. After "walking on" as a non-scholarship player for the football team, Ruettiger convinces coach Ara Parseghian to give him a spot on the practice (or "scout") squad. Rudy soon exhibits more drive and desire than some of his scholarship teammates.

Parseghian agrees to Rudy's request to suit up for just one game in his senior year so his family and friends can see him as a genuine member of the team. But to the student's dismay, Parseghian steps down as coach following the 1974 season.

After Dan Devine's arrival as head coach in 1975, Ruettiger is not given a chance to dress for a home game and quits the team briefly in anger. Other players, led by team captain and All-American Roland Steele, rise to his defense, pressuring Devine to allow Rudy to suit up for the final home game of the season by stacking their jerseys, one at a time, atop Devine's desk.

The final home game comes against Georgia Tech on November 8. Rudy is suited up, but his teammates feel this is not enough. One invites Rudy to lead the entire team out of the tunnel onto the field. Another starts a "Rudy!" chant that soon goes stadium wide. Rudy's parents are in the stands and can hardly believe their ears and eyes.

Coach Devine eventually gives in and lets Rudy play on the final kickoff. Rudy then stays in for the final play of the game and sacks the opposing quarterback. He is carried off on the shoulders of his teammates. An epilogue states that since that day, no other Notre Dame player has ever been carried off the field this way.