Rudy: A Dreamer's Hero

Rudy's story is for anybody who has a dream. He models strength and endurance of the mind, body and soul. Rudy is a hero for anybody wishing to accomplish a goal. Even though the world we live in often contains many dream killers, he pushed himself to keep going. Society tells dreamers that they are better off aiming low and succeeding than aiming high and failing. Rudy didn't care. E knew he had some small chance, so he went for it.

He defined his dream as a small boy, and had his best friend Pete back him up. He worked out and studied hard to get himself into his dream school and onto his dream team. When things were hardest, it would have been easy to give in and just stay home, in the same job, telling himself over and over that it wasn't time yet. Instead he went to South Bend. He knew that dreaming in his head would mean nothing, so he acted on it.

Rudy's story of struggle and success is an inspiration to anyone with a goal for their future.

Rudy is indeed a hero for the dreamers in this world. Examples of perseverance as strong as Rudy's are rare today. The belief he has in his ability to achieve this goal is demonstrated very early, when he declares over supper, when he is very young, that he is going to play football for Notre Dame one day. Dreams that huge are not only rare, but difficult to keep fueled over long periods of time. Rudy continued to believe that he could succeed for years, despite constant doubt from people around him. Even after a very firm "no" from his dad, he kept going. His own father told him that chasing a wild dream is useless and causes nothing but harm at the bus station before Rudy left.

If there is one thing that people with big dreams can learn from Rudy, it is that giving up is not an option. When things got difficult, when he was repeatedly rejected from Notre Dame, or when his name was absent from each game roster in his final year, he would not give up. Rudy is a hero for anyone who wishes to achieve a dream because he is the definition of hope, faith and perseverance.

Rudy's life is full of people who do not think he can succeed. It started with his very own family. When he first tells them that he will play football for Notre Dame, they literally laugh at him. They do not take him seriously. They may not have intended to kill a dream he has; it could be that they simply thought it was a silly fantasy that would pass. However, his siblings and his father were the first in a fairly extensive line of people that refused to take him seriously. The priest who teaches him in high school sums up the attitude of many people in Rudy's life, outside the bus instead of letting him take the campus tour. He says that while he is a good kid, Notre Dame is simply out of his league, and that he should move on. His girlfriend, Sherry, shares this sentiment. She wants the best for him, and does not encourage him to follow a path that could contain a lot of heartache and disappointment for him. While she did not plainly stomp on his dream, she offered him no support.

The world often offers us no support when we need it. Reaching for goals that seem crazy, outlandish, or beyond our reach is not encouraged by this society. The most commonly accepted idea regarding these dreams is that each person should stick to the life that they were born into. Rudy's dad says that Notre Dame is for very smart, very talented, very athletic, very rich kids. It is not for "people like them". This is how dreams are so often crushed before they can even be tried.

Each person is surrounded by people, sometimes even family and friends who do not believe that they can accomplish great things. Perhaps they do not fully understand the will power and desire possessed by dreamers like Rudy.

This story is certainly one about a fully dream; it is formed, worked at, and accomplished. Rudy is an inspiration in that he took each of the necessary steps without even being told how to do so.

At a very early age, Rudy defines his dream. He sets out what he wants to accomplish, neatly and completely. As a child, he admires the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, and decides that he wants to be part of it. He resolved to get there, and to play football for this admirable and prestigious college team.

Getting support was a more difficult battle for our hero. As mentioned, even his family did not think this goal was a possibility. The only support he found in his hometown was in his best friend, Pete. Pete encouraged him to strive for what he wanted. He knew how huge this football team was to him - he even bought him a Notre Dame jacket for his birthday. After receiving this gift, Rudy tells Pete that Pete was the only person that ever believed in him. When Pete tragically dies, Rudy finally realizes