November 8, 1975: The Rudy Ruettiger Game

The real thing, not Sean Astin

November 8, 1975, 50 years ago: Notre Dame beats Georgia Tech, 24-3 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. By the Fighting Irish's standards, it was an unremarkable game in an unremarkable season, going 8-3 with no invitation to a bowl game, and with the 2 guys who would become their biggest stars, quarterback Joe Montana and linebacker Bob Golic, both being freshmen and backups.

But in this last home game for several seniors, head coach Dan Devine, who took over this season from the retiring Ara Parseghian, decided -- on his own, not persuaded to do so like the movie said -- to have 5-foot-6-inch, 165-pound defensive end Daniel Eugene "Rudy" Ruettiger, who hadn't played a down in 4 years and wouldn't get another chance, dress in his Number 45 uniform for the game.

Devine sends Ruettiger in for Notre Dame's final defensive series, and he is in for 3 plays: A kickoff, an incomplete pass by Tech quarterback Rudy Allen (whose name actually was Rudolph), and a sack of Allen by Ruettiger.

And thus did the story of the 1993 film Rudy, starring Sean Astin, end. At least they got that part right. It's not the most ridiculous movie ever made about Notre Dame football, but it is about the school's most ridiculous player.

What happened to Rudy after his sack? He set up a successful maintenance company, and also sold real estate. In 1986, he moved back to South Bend, and decided to sell his story to be made into a film. He had a cameo as a fan, sitting behind Ned Beatty, who was playing his father. He said the movie was 92 percent true.

After the movie, he became a motivational speaker, and ran Rudy Beverage, Inc. In 2011, he was charged with securities fraud in connection with that company. He settled, and paid $383,000 in fines. In 2017, this famous former member of the football team at America's best-known Catholic university converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a.k.a. the Mormons.

Maybe Meat Loaf should have played middle-aged Rudy.

As of November 8, 2025, he is still alive.