Rudy Awards
Ruettiger strived to attend the University of Notre Dame and to play football for the Fighting Irish.Ruettiger battled with dyslexia and the fact that he was much smaller than an average football player, standing just 5'6" (1.68 m) and weighing 165 lb (75 kg).Ruettiger eventually overcame these obstacles to gain admission to the University as a transfer and make the football team as a walk-on.[2] The inaugural 2007 College Football Rudy Award was held on January 8, 2008 at the OpryLand Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.[4] In 2009, a High school Rudy Award was established to honor inspirational athletes at the prep level.