Joe Montana Broke America’s Heart by Revealing Everything Wrong With Rudy Ruttieger From the ‘Rudy’ Movie
Rudy is one of the most famous and heartwarming sports movies ever made. It tells the underdog story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, a hardworking kid who dreamed of playing college football at the University of Notre Dame. In one of the most iconic scenes in film history, Ruettiger finally gets into a game. He makes a sack and his Fighting Irish teammates carry him off the field.
Years after the movie premiered, Joe Montana, the Notre Dame quarterback at the time, didn’t hold back about the authenticity of the movie. If you’re a Rudy lover, get your tissues ready.
‘Rudy’ is one of the most heartwarming sports movies ever made
When you think of Rudy, you think of one of the greatest underdog stories in college sports history. Rudy Ruettiger, a hardworking teenager in the ’60s from a small town in Illinois, decided to follow his dream of playing football at Notre Dame after a steel mill accident killed his brother.
However, Ruettiger didn’t have the grades or the money to attend Notre Dame. Instead, he went to school at nearby Holy Cross College, but he never stopped applying to get into his dream school.
Rudy obtained a job working at Notre Dame’s football stadium. After two years at Holy Cross and numerous attempts to get admitted into the school, he finally got accepted. Ruettiger walked on to the Fighting Irish football team as a member of the practice squad. Although he was told he would never suit up for a game, Ruettiger still worked just as hard as the starters during practices.
Finally, Ruettiger got his chance to shine in a game against Georgia Tech. Miraculously, Rudy made a sack on the final play of the game as the crowd chanted his name. The entire team carried him off the field after the game — or at least that’s what Hollywood portrayed.
Joe Montana was Rudy Ruettiger’s teammate at Notre Dame
Rudy Ruettiger might be the most memorable player on the mid-’70s Notre Dame roster, but there was an all-time great quarterback leading the Fighting Irish at the same time.
That’s right, Joe Montana was the Notre Dame signal-caller when Rudy finally got into his first varsity game. Montana led the Fighting Irish to three winning seasons and a national championship in 1977.
The Hall-of-Fame QB recently spoke about Ruettiger and how he was portrayed in the famous film. Rudy fans aren’t going to like what he had to say.
Joe Montana delivers heartbreaking news that ‘Rudy’ wasn’t accurate
The ending of Rudy is what every fan remembers most. The crowd chanting his name. Rudy Ruettiger’s incredible sack. His team carrying him off the field afterward. Well, according to Montana, the sack was the only accurate part of the movie. Montana appeared on an episode of Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast and debunked the ending of Rudy:
Was there a lot of things that happened? Yeah. He got in, he got a sack. Was the crowd chanting? No. Did I throw in my jersey? No. Did he get carried off the field? He got carried off by three of the biggest pranksters on the team.
Joe Montana
So, the biggest moment of Ruettiger’s life was apparently just a joke to the rest of the team. Montana claims the three players carried Rudy off the field sarcastically, not in celebration. Rudy screenwriters fabricated the jersey scene, the chanting never happened, and the iconic ending wasn’t even accurate.
What a crushing blow to the sports movie community.
