Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame.

Fortune: You're 5 foot nothin', 100 and nothin', and you have barely a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in there with the best college football players in the land for 2 years. And you're gonna walk outta here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this life, you don't have to prove nothin' to nobody but yourself. And after what you've gone through, if you haven't done that by now, it ain't gonna never happen. Now go on back.
Fortune: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey what are you doing here don't you have pratice?
Rudy: Not anymore I quit.
Fortune: Oh, well since when are you the quitting kind?
Rudy: I don't know I just don't see the point anymore.
Fortune: So you didn't make the dress list, there are greater tragies in the world.
Rudy: I wanted to run out of that Tunnell for my dad to prove to everyone that I worked...
Fortune: PROVE WHAT?
Rudy: That I was somebody.
Fortune: Oh you are so full of crap. Your five foot nothin', a hundred and nothin' and hardly have a spec of athletic ability and you hung in with the best college football team in the land for two years, and you were also going to walk out of here with a degree from the University of Norte Dame in this life time you don't have to prove nothing to nobody except yourself and after what you gone through if you haven't done that by now, it aint gonna never happen, now go on back.
Rudy: I'm sorry I never got you to see your first game in here.
Fortune: Hell I've seen too many games in this Stadium.
Rudy: I thought you said you never saw a game...
Fortune: I've never seen a game from the stands.
Rudy: You were a player?
Fortune: I rode the Bench for two years thought I wasn't being played because of my color I got filled up with a lot of attitude so I quit, still not a week goes by I don't regret it, and I guarantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out letting them get the best of you. Do you hear me clear enough?
Pete: Well, you know what my dad always said, Having dreams is what makes life tolerable.
Steele: Rudy,are you ready for this, champ?
Rudy: I've been ready for this my whole life!
Steele: Then you take us out on the field.
Rudy: Coach I just wanted to thank you for letting be a part of this football program this year.
Ara Parseghian: Rudy, I never I thought I'd be saying this but it's been an honor.
Rudy: But I've come to realize that God made some people out to be football players and that I'm not one of them.
Ara Parseghian: I wish God would put your heart in some of my players bodies.
Rudy: [laughs] Yea, I have this wish to let my father watch one of his sons play football for the Irish and I was wondering if I could possibly dress for one game next season?
Ara Parseghian: Rudy the NCAA is really strict with this 60 player rule, and in some positions we only have one backup and you know that every year we are competing for the national championship. Is this wish just for your father?
Rudy: No its for everyone who told me that being a Norte Dame Football player would be impossible. My brothers, the guys I work with at the mill they can't come to practice and see that I am a part of this team.
Ara Parseghian: [sighs] OK.
Rudy: OK?
Ara Parseghian: You deserve it. You will dress for one game next season.
Rudy: [can barely hold in his excitement] Thank You Coach!
Rudy: We're gonna go inside, we're gonna go outside, inside and outside. We're gonna get 'em on the run boys and once we get 'em on the run we're gonna keep 'em on the run. And then we're gonna go go go go go go and we're not gonna stop til we get across that goalline. This is a team they say is... is good, well I think we're better than them. They can't lick us, so what do you say men?
Father Cavanaugh: [in church] Taking your appeal to a higher authority?
Rudy: I'm desperate. If I don't get in next semester, it's over. Notre Dame doesn't accept senior transfers.
Father Cavanaugh: Well, you've done a hell of a job kid, chasing down your dream.
Rudy: Who cares what kind of job I did if it doesn't produce results? It doesn't mean anything.
Father Cavanaugh: I think you'll find that it will.
Rudy: Maybe I haven't prayed enough.
Father Cavanaugh: I don't think that's the problem. Praying is something we do in our time, the answers come in God's time.
Rudy: If I've done everything I possibly can, can you help me?
Father Cavanaugh: Son, in thirty-five years of religious study, I've come up with only two hard, incontrovertible facts; there is a God, and, I'm not Him.
D-Bob: Who's the wild man now?
Daniel: My sons going to Notre Dame!
[Rudy sneaks into Notre Dame Stadium]
Fortune: Hey kid! You're not supposed to be here!
Rudy: Hey this place is really somethin else huh? Someday I'm gonna come out of that tunnel and I'm gonna run onto this field
Fortune: Well it ain't gonna be this day...
Rudy: I'm here to play football for the Irish!
Fortune: Coach Parseghian know about it?
Rudy: No... not yet.
Fortune: Well maybe you best tell him first...
Daniel: You're a Ruettiger! There's nothing in the world wrong with being a Ruettiger!
D-Bob: We've had a hell of a goddamn run haven't we?
Frank: As long as my brother talks this crazy Notre Dame shit, he deserves anything that comes his way!
Steele: I want Rudy to dress in my place Coach. He deserves it.
Dan Devine: [laughs] Don't be ridiculous, Georgia Tech is one of the top offense teams in the country.
[Steele continues to stand and stare at the Devine]
Dan Devine: You are an All-American and our Captain, act like it!
Steele: I believe I am.
[lays his jersy down on Devine's desk and walks out]
Mateus: Hey man, I just want to say sorry about what I said at practice.
Rudy: Don't be sorry.
Mateus: Do you understand that if you don't cool it out there you're going to get yourself killed?
Rudy: If I cool it out there, then I won't be helping you guys win next week's game. Got it?
Mateus: Yeah, I got it.
Jamie O'Hara: He's just a showboat, man. That's all he's about.
Steele: Relax, Jamie, he's just doing his job.
Frank: Ara again? You gonna get an autographed picture and kiss it every night before you go to bed?
Rudy: What is your problem?
Frank: Or maybe he'll give you permission to wipe his ass.
Rudy: Mary, Mary quite contrary. What makes your garden grow?
Pete: Hey, you were a pretty big Notre Dame fan!
Frank: Yeah, and I used to collect baseball cards too!
Father Cavanaugh: Son, in 35 years of religious study, I have only come up with two hard incontrovertible facts: there is a God, and I'm not Him.
Dan Devine: No one, and I mean no one, comes into our house and pushes us around.
Fortune: You got your head so far up your ass about that damn football team, you don't get the fact that you just got a year of top quality education! Waste? Quit wasting my time!
Mateus: [at practice, Rudy remains on the ground after being pummeled on a block by Mateus] Hey, little buddy, you all right?
Coach Yonto: Ruettiger, get out!
Rudy: [springs up, refusing to be taken out] I can do it, coach!
Rudy: [play is run again, but Mateus refuses to block Rudy. Rudy confronts Mateus loudly] What are you doing? I'm playing defense for Purdue!
Coach Yonto: Mateus!
[grabs his facemask]
Coach Yonto: You ain't here to be no nanny in no kindergarten!
D-Bob: What's a lapsed Catholic to do?
Rudy: You're the only one who ever took me seriously, Pete.
Ara Parseghian: What's your problem, O'Hare, what's your problem?
Jamie O'Hara: Last practice of the season and this asshole thinks it's the Super Bowl!
Ara Parseghian: You just summed up your entire sorry career here in one sentence! If you had a tenth of the heart of Ruettiger, you'd have made All-American by now! As it is, you just went from third team to the prep team! Get out of here!
D-Bob: [when Rudy first steps onto the field] He's so little!
Daniel: [Upon entering Notre Dame Stadium] This is the most beautiful sight these eyes have ever seen!
Dan Devine: You already know this but this is the most important game of your lives, no excuses do the work. Our lady of victory
[all]
Dan Devine: PRAY FOR US.
Rudy: This entire year's been a waste! I've just blown another year of eligibility!
Frank: If you are a part of that team, then my opinion of Notre Dame football just hit the shits!
Rudy: Who cares how much effort I put in, if it doesnt produce any results.
Players and Fans: Ru-dy! Ru-dy! Ru-dy!
Rudy: Don't I know you?
D-Bob: Remember Elza? She's my girl now. We're engaged. Ain't that goddamn something?
Elza: Dennis!
D-Bob: Oh yeah, I ain't allowed to say "goddamn" no more.
Frank: That semester at junior college sure didn't make you any smarter.
Fortune: I rode the bench for two years. Thought I wasn't being played because of my color, I got filled up with a lotta attitude. So I quit. Still not a week goes by I don't regret it. And I guarantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out, letting them get the best of ya. You hear me clear enough?
Coach Warren: [addressing players at the walk-on tryouts] Let me tell it to you as clean as I can. We have 95 players here so accomplished as athletes in high school, we gave them full scholarships to the best football program in the country. NCAA regulations allow us to dress just 60 for home games, which means at least 35 scholarship players are gonna be watching the game from the stands. So if any of you has any fantasies about running out of that stadium tunnel with your gold helmet shining in the sun, you best leave them right here. Of you 15 dreamers out there maybe we'll keep one or two. My job is to basically beat the shit out of you for the next 5 days, and whoever is still standing at the end, maybe we'll use for our scout teams. You'll be running the oppositions plays week in and week out. The greatest value to us is we don't care whether you get hurt. Our first teams are going to pound on you like you're their worst enemies. Like what you hear so far? Any of you wanna run home to momma? Now's your chance. Joe, they're all yours.
D-Bob: Are you learning stenography or something? Everything he's mouthing is in the goddamn book.
Rudy: I gotta make an 'A' in this class.
D-Bob: Just remember "Sitz im Leben" and it shouldn't be a problem.