Notre Dame Legend Daniel ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (February 25, 2005) - Daniel ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger (left) chats with USS Key West’s (SSN 722) commanding officer Commander Kenneth Sault during a tour on the nuclear-powered attack submarine. Photo by JO2 Corwin Colbert

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii--The submariners of USS Key West (SSN 722) gave a tour for the University of Notre Dame legend Daniel ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger on February 25th.

Ruettiger travels the country attending different events as a motivational speaker. As the guest speaker for the Navy Submarine Ball the following day, he was given the opportunity to tour a submarine. He said it was an offer, “he couldn’t refuse.”

USS Key West’s commanding officer, Commander Kenneth Sault, greeted Rudy topside before heading down into the control room.

The tour was a relaxed one filled with puns and sea stories from Rudy who understood a lot of the Navy jargon since he was in the Navy.

“I was in the Navy in 1969 as a Seaman Yeoman on a destroyer,” he said.

The group toured various spaces aboard the nuclear-powered attack submarine including the machinery room, torpedo room, berthing, and the crew’s mess.

“When the captain showed me the enlisted berthing, then he showed me his quarters, I could not believe he said his quarters was luxurious. I could hardly spread my arms out,” said Ruettiger.

After spending an hour on the submarine, it was time to go. However, Rudy said the tour made quite an impression.

“The submarine force is amazing. People have to see this with their own eyes before they can truly understand what it is about,” he said.

Like a true motivational speaker, Ruettiger had a few words to say to all US Navy Sailors.

“I would like to thank Sailors for their dedication. Stick in there. You don’t realize what you are getting out of when you decide to leave the Navy and go to the next level this experience is going to take you a long way,” Ruettiger concluded.

As fans cheered RU-DY, RU-DY, he sacked the quarterback in the last 27 seconds of the only play in the only game of his college football career in 1974. He is the only player in the school's history to be carried off the field on his teammates’ shoulders.

By JO2 Corwin Colbert
COMSUBPAC Public Affairs

Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Press Release