Rudy Ruettiger

Now, I'm not positive 24 hours a day. I have my grieving moments. But when I go to a school to speak to a bunch of kids, I get pumped up.

We accomplish what we do in our lives in spite of the joy stealers.

That's another question I get all the time: 'Hey, Rudy, how the hell could you even afford to go to college?' The G.I. Bill.

At Notre Dame, even my statistics teacher wanted me to win.

Give kids the chance to be champions.

If you have the dream, the belief and the faith, you can go anywhere.

It's fun to be excited because all the negative people stay away.

I never put a time limit on my dream.

I quit hanging around people who made me feel bad.

I just wanted to be a part of Notre Dame. The school and I have a great relationship.

I don't look at it like I'm a legend.

Face life's obstacles and never give up on your dreams.

I want to help people be positive.

People say I'm a pain in the rear, but we surrender to people who say we are pains the rear.

When you have a big vision, if you focus on that vision, you'll get it. But most people quit because it gets too hard.

What I really wanted more than anything was to be part of something.

A lot of people take things for granted.

I just want to let people know, 'Be what you want to be.'

To my father, Notre Dame represented the underdogs of the world, the Italians, and the Polish people. I told him that one day I would play football for Notre Dame and worked hard to make that dream come true.

When you believe in yourself, you'll believe in all the signs the good Lord is telling us. You expect yourself to do well, and you expect to do something great.

Don't let people steal your confidence and tell you what you can't do because I'm living proof that you can overcome all the obstacles.

How could God give me a dream, a dream of going to Notre Dame, a dream of becoming somebody, and I'm a dummy, I'm nobody.

People sometimes just need inspiration to keep moving along, whether it's going to Notre Dame and being rejected, or taking a long time to bring a sports movie and Hollywood together, which took a long time for 'Rudy.'

Retail employees are the underdogs or 'Rudy' of the work force. They start off at the bottom trying to gain experience, but rarely expect a good wage, a good experience or any career mobility. We need to change that mindset.

I was always the underdog. See, I'd fight guys bigger than me. In boxing, it's not how good you are; it's how tough you are.

You don't quit just because the odds are against you.

You don't have to be an All-American. You just have to have character and courage, and I take that message very seriously.

My story was not a football story. My story was more about going against the odds of what life was handing me.

You're never, ever too old to catch your dream.

The only reason I wanted to go to college was so I could go to Notre Dame, and so after I graduate from Notre Dame I could go to heaven.

You've got to eliminate the confusion in your life. And eliminate the excuses.

I had no money, no grades, no athletic ability. Nothing but hope.

It's not an easy thing going to Hollywood and saying, 'Hey, make my movie.'

There are two kinds of people. There are the ones who believe in your dreams and there are the ones who think it's their job to crush those dreams.

When people get inspired they go out and do things to make them who they want to be.

You can do anything in 10 minutes.

I was a great practice player. I knew I wasn't going to play, but I wanted to do my part in helping the rest of the team prepare for the games.

My main message to kids is to have confidence and believe in yourself.

People didn't understand my passion. I dreamt big. I saw myself playing at Notre Dame. I saw myself in a classroom.

You want people to have a positive outlook on life. No matter what they go through, there's hope. I represent that message.

For a lot of people, I was a below-average guy who broke through a wall.

You see, my movie isn't about football, or about Notre Dame. It's about hope, about the human spirit.

Follow your dreams. It's always too early to quit.

Don't be a taker, be a giver, because when you give you get back.

When you focus on your dreams, great things happen.

Character is the key to your success. Inspiration is key.

Patience is key, as long as you have a purpose.

Motivational speaking became my career. Who would ever have thought it?

People always need to hear good motivational speeches.

Attitude plays a big part in your life and how you measure your dreams.