The award is named in the honor of Daniel "Rudy" Ruttiger, who is famous as the inspiration for the 1993 film Rudy. Ruttiger strived to attend the University of Notre Dame and to play football for the Fighting Irish. Ruttiger battled with dyslexia and the fact that he was much smaller than an average football player, standing just 5'6" (1.68 m) and weighing 165 lb (75 kg). Ruttiger eventually overcame these obstacles to gain admission to the University as a transfer and make the football team as a walk-on. In the only play in the only game of his college football career, he recorded a quarterback sack as fans cheered "RU-DY, RU-DY". Ruettiger is only one of two players in Fighting Irish history ever to be carried off the field on his teammates' shoulders.