Sep 24, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Mike Gabel of Akron, Ohio takes a photo with Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Duke Blue Devils at Notre Dame Stadium. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Manti Te'o Describes Uncomfortable First Interaction with Real-Life Rudy

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated Aug 16, 2024 1:37 AM ET

Some athletes reach a level that is so high, a simple mention of just their first name or one-word nickname brings feelings to others.

Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger is certainly one of those people at Notre Dame as the 1993 movie portraying him dared countless people to never stop chasing their dreams.

As good as the story of Rudy is, not every interaction with him has a Hollywood type ending. That was certainly the case the first time Notre Dame great Manti Te'o met college football's all-time most famous walk-on.

Manti Te'o Didn't Like Rudy Upon First Viewing

"I didn't like the movie when I first saw it," Te'o said Thursday on NFL Network's Good Morning Football, "And maybe it's because, and all my ND family knows this, I grew up an SC (Southern California) fan so I didn't really relate to the movie like that."

"Now when I did commit to Notre Dame, I did have one of those Tim Brown moments on the Heisman commercial..."

Manti Te'o and Rudy Ruettiger's Awkard First Interaction

"The Rudy I knew was the Rudy in the movie, so I didn't know what Rudy Ruettiger really looked like until at a parade he came up to me and was like 'Hey, my name is Rudy Ruettiger, it's nice to meet you'" described Te'o, "I was like, 'Oh! You're Rudy!'

"And then Rudy Ruettiger responded to me by saying 'See, this is the problem with the young generation, they don't know their history' and I'm like, "I did see the movie and I don't know if you can say that to me!"

"Hold up, I didn't know who you really were but now that I know, listen, I'm going to tell you a little bit about some history!" Te'o says he said back, "So it wasn't the most positive interaction at that point but then I was a freshman and I had some growing to do and my career ending up the way it does and we had another interaction where he just wanted to say 'Hey man, love and respect' and I was like 'love and respect to you too, brother".

"I think it was a whole misunderstanding at that point and I was a young cat and I should have handled that a little bit better but that was my first encounter with Rudy and I didn't know who he was because like Tim Brown in that Heisman commercial, I just knew the guy from the movie."

See Te'o's full debut interview on Good Morning Football below.

Manti Te'o Joins NFL Network's Good Morning Football

Manti Te'o brings the Aloha spirit to the breakfast table as he talks life after football pic.twitter.com/PfdXC2BQbT
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) August 15, 2024