Midwestern University welcomes ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger for special one-night event

Midwestern University’s Downers Grove Campus will be the site of “An Evening of Inspiration” in April, when the university welcomes famed Notre Dame University alumnus and motivational speaker Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger for a special presentation on resiliency, beating the odds, and achieving goals.

The event will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, at Midwestern University’s Cardinal Hall Auditorium, 555 31st St. in Downers Grove. Admission is free for the public but pre-event registration at www.midwestern.edu/rudy45 is required.

Ruettiger’s story, popularized in the 1993 film “Rudy” starring Sean Astin, is inspiring itself. The son of an oil refinery worker and the third of 14 children, he tenaciously pursued his dream of playing college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, working his way through junior college to improve his academic record and eventually making the Notre Dame football team as a walk-on despite his height. At the end of his senior year, he was allowed to dress for the final game of the season and got onto the field for a single play with 27 seconds to go, sacking the quarterback and then being carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates.

Today, Ruettiger is an Emmy Award-winning motivational speaker, author, and producer, and the co-founder of the Rudy Foundation, whose mission is to strengthen communities by offering scholarships in education, sports, and the performing arts.

For more information about “An Evening of Inspiration” and Ruettiger and to register for the event, visit www.midwestern.edu/rudy45.