Rudy Addresses Students at Oratory

As you enter Oratory Preparatory School on One Beverly Road, banners with the mission of the school read: Preparing lives. One by One.

As you walk into Oratory's gymnasium, the sign above the entrance reads "Play Like Champions Today."

That mission and sign are very familiar to the school's guest speaker the school hosted – Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger – whose life as a Notre Dame student and football walk-on was depicted in the 1993 movie and sports classic "Rudy."

Ruettiger addressed a crowd of more than 400 including Oratory's student body, as well as, nearby Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child students, in an hour-long speech this morning.

"I heard him speak at another school a few years ago," said Robert Costello, Oratory Prep's Head of School, who started in his position at the school in July. "I just thought he would be a great speaker for the students here. To hear the message that I knew he would deliver."

Ruettiger, the third of 14 children from Joliet, Ill. and who graduated with a B average from Notre Dame in 1976, touched on a number of topics including, but not limited to: character, commitment, courage, contributing back to your community and friends, preparation, imagination, hope, faith, expectations and even bullying amongst students, which is a hot topic across the nation's schools and classrooms.

Ruettiger also used several video clips to illustrate and highlight his points, including a former President John F. Kennedy speech about going to the moon, interspersed with clips from the movie, where Ruettiger says "It took 10 years to play 27 seconds."

"I hope to stimulate their thoughts. To think differently, how to treat their friends, how to look at life," said Ruettiger, who books more than 90 speeches a year. "It's great to be around young kids, young leaders and young minds. To me, its exciting because they have that energy. They are still pure, you can influence them, mold them, that's what great. You can bring your wisdom and values to them in a very positive becoming way."

Afterwards, Ruettiger had two separate 10-minute Q&A sessions with members of Oratory's student council and team captains of each of the athletic teams.

"Its hard not to listen to someone like him with the story that he has and not be able to translate that there are things you can do, despite popular opinion," added Costello. "You can push, persevere and achieve the best that you can. I think the message of encouraging others can never be heard enough and I think that's something that will translate from this talk – that positive encouragement and pushing their friends or teammates along thru the process here at Oratory will be a carryover into their lives."

For more info on Rudy Ruettiger and the high school football RUDY awards, please visit www.rudyinternational.com, www.HighSchoolRudyawards.com and www.TrustedSports.com .