'08 OH TE Kyle Rudolph (Signed LOI to ND) - Page 15 - Notre Dame Football Discussion

IrishCalves · 05-27-2007, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishfan81

Kyle will be one of the finest TE's ever to come out of Notre Dame I think he's better than Ragone. But Reuland he's got a ways before he's at his level. Needa to refine his blocking skills. But he's a threat to catch the ball every time. He needs to get bigger but he's 6-7 245 needs to be 260 or so. Then your talking one fine TE.

So we're clear, he's not quite that big. If he came in at 245, then bulking up probably wouldn't be an issue whatsoever. But it probably will be, since he's a hoops player for sure, and... well, just read about his playing weight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenDomer3

Great update, so that puts him at... 230? 240? In between?

I've heard 3 different weights on him, so I don't remember what last fall's was.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoshenGipper

Somewhere around 230, he weighed in at 229 at the Nike Camp. He actually went down to between 210 - 215 for basketball season.

And that wasn't more than a month ago when I asked about it, so unless he's on HGH, and gained a pound a day or so, Rudolph is in the 230 range - and will probably come into Notre Dame at a # close to it. Nothing is set in stone, but he's a star for their hoops team, and will probably drop to a lower weight come senior year again, only to build it back up for ND.

**stonebreakerwasgod** · 05-27-2007, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishknight1023

A 6-7 245 TE is an absolute monster on the line. I think it's a little early to compare Rudolph and Ragone because they are two different types of TE IMO. Rudolph is a redzone threat and can go up and get any ball and move the chains, but Ragone is a field stretching LB mismatch nightmare and a threat in the open field. I think them being so different will make us that much more of a complete offense. We usually use two TE's at a time so the defense will never know how to play us. Oh yeah and did I mention most likely Jimmy Clausen is the man throwing them the ball where they can catch it and nobody else? It's an exciting time to be an ND fan i'll tell you that. I'm 20 and full of piss and vinegar after a night of partying so i'm taking it out on the 2000 threads on IE tonight.

Classic!

Irishknight1023 · 06-04-2007, 01:50 PM

http://notredame.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1824

Rivals has Rudolph as the #1 TE in the country which is what we already knew. They have Baldwin and Stoneburner both as TE's well even though they are recruit by mostly everybody as WR's.

Irishknight1023 · 06-08-2007, 02:20 AM

Two random clips of Rudolph catching balls on two plays. It's video and it's YouTube so here it is....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FmlpJWAUj...elated&search=
and
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ygk3dAT9E...elated&search=

GhostSpirit · 06-20-2007, 02:22 PM

Kyle Rudolph Cincinnati Elder Scouting Ohio

Oh, just a few highlights of our future TE.

johnnd05 · 08-20-2007, 06:25 PM

This Rudy no underdog
Kyle Rudolph's legend built at Elder, at least for now

BY TOM GROESCHEN | TGROESCHEN@ENQUIRER.COM

Elder football star Kyle Rudolph is nicknamed Rudy.

Rudolph's favorite movie is, of course, the tearjerking "Rudy."

The common thread is Notre Dame football, but Kyle "Rudy" Rudolph and cinema legend Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger could not be more different. The former is a superstar bound for the Irish in 2008, the latter an underdog whose story was so lovably hokey it became a famous motion picture.

"I don't know how many times I've seen it," Kyle Rudolph said of the 1993 movie. "It's so inspirational."

What could the two Rudys possibly have in common?

Nothing, except that both are beloved. Ruettiger, for being an everyman hero. Rudolph, for a rare teenage trifecta of talent, maturity and humility.

"Kyle is the total package, something I don't think we've seen since I've been here," said Elder athletic director Dave Dabbelt, who enters his 38th year at the school. "Along with him being such a great kid and a good student, he's just a rare athlete and works really hard. Little kids love him, and it's not something he's phony about. It's just who he is."

Rudolph is the No. 1-rated tight end in America by Rivals.com. Great hands, runs well, blocks well, great strength. All incidental to those who know him.

"He just has a good heart," said Jamie Rudolph, Kyle's mother. "He's a better kid than he is an athlete."

A STAR AT 17

Rudolph, a 17-year-old Elder senior, is worshiped by West Side youngsters and admired by adults. He has it all, with size (6-foot-7, 230 pounds), athletic status (also the reigning Enquirer Division I basketball player of the year) and academic achievement (3.4 GPA).

Yet, those who know Rudolph are impressed more by his character than his trophies. As a youngster Rudolph always looked out for those less gifted and less fortunate, and that continues to this day.

At Elder football camp this summer, the elementary school kids got a chance to meet Panthers varsity players, put on Elder jerseys and get their pictures taken. Most every boy wanted to be photographed in Rudolph's No. 9 jersey.

"My son Danny is going into first grade," said Sarah Ginn, a Rudolph family friend. "He got a No. 9 picture, of course, and he went around the neighborhood shouting, 'Look! I'm Rudy! I'm Rudy.' Kyle will stop by the house and throw a football with Danny, and Danny's just in heaven."

Elder coach Doug Ramsey said Rudolph is the most heavily recruited player in Ramsey's 20 years at the school, 11 as head coach. When asked about Rudolph, Ramsey mentions the person.

"He's great with the little kids, and he's great with his teammates," Ramsey said. "You should see him working our football camps . . . the kids just love him. He's everything you'd want your son to be."

Notre Dame had the original Golden Boy in Paul Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner known for his fair-haired good looks and football prowess. Rudolph did dye his hair yellowish on a whim last summer, but now is back to his customary light brown hair.

"Danny won't get his hair cut," Sarah Ginn said of her son, "because Kyle has been letting his grow out."

Rudolph would rather talk about the kids than himself. He remembers idolizing Elder players, too, when he was growing up first at Our Lady of Victory parish in Delhi (grades 1-3) and then Our Lady of Visitation in Green Township.

"When I was little, I looked up to the Elder players like Kyle Koester, and now I'm able to be that for the little kids," Rudolph said. "They kind of look up to me a lot, and it kind of makes their day when you say hi to them or hang out with them."

Rudolph talks about this in a manner that says this is part of his job, to be a role model. He welcomes his status as someone who can make a difference.

Ramsey said he was struck by a recent interlude where Rudolph counseled a junior teammate.

"This kid is struggling a little bit, and Kyle took him off to the side and talked to him for about two hours," Ramsey said. "There were no coaches around. Kyle just took it upon himself to help the kid, talk about what to do to be successful."

In the 1990s, there was a tongue-in-cheek rock song by Morrissey entitled, "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful." In Rudolph's case, good luck finding an envious peer.

"You can walk through this whole school," Ramsey said, "and you'd be hard-pressed to find somebody that would say something bad about him. That's rare with athletes today. The kid that's the best athlete in the school, you obviously might find some jealousy. It's not that way here because he treats people right."

Steve Hengehold, an Elder senior center/linebacker, has been playing football and basketball with Rudolph since fourth grade. Hengehold said Rudolph has not changed one iota.

"He's always been real team-oriented," Hengehold said. "He's never tried to stand out and show everybody how great he is."

CONSIDERS HIMSELF LUCKY

Jamie Rudolph said Kyle is grounded by the fact that his younger brother Casey, who will be an Elder sophomore, was born with cancer. Casey had a kidney and an adrenal gland removed when he was an infant, but today plays football, hockey and lacrosse for Elder. The third sibling is a girl, Kori, who is in third grade.

"I think Kyle knows what Casey went through, and he considers himself lucky," Jamie said. "He never takes anything for granted."

Rudolph demurs when the term "Golden Boy" is mentioned. The closest he'll come is that yes, it certainly seems like a movie that his grandparents were Notre Dame fans and his paternal grandmother was Irish. Yet, he was not an especially big Notre Dame fan growing up.

The place kind of grew on him, especially when he went up for a recruiting visit last November.

"You go to a Catholic school and Notre Dame's a Catholic university, it just seemed like the right fit," Rudolph said.

A PERSONAL OFFER

Last November, Rudolph and his mom and dad (Dan) visited Notre Dame on a football weekend with about 45 other potential recruits. It was early on a game day, and Irish coach Charlie Weis got up in front of the group and made his spiel. He wished he could meet individually with each one of them but time didn't permit it ... you're all great athletes ... thanks again for coming.

The Rudolphs got up to leave with the rest of the group, but then-Notre Dame assistant coach Rick Minter - the former University of Cincinnati head coach - tapped Jamie on the shoulder.

"Can I talk to Kyle a minute?" Minter said.

The Rudolph clan was ushered to Weis' office. This was shortly before a game, remember. Weis smiled and handed Kyle Rudolph a big, gold envelope.

"It was his offer letter," Jamie Rudolph said. "I was like, 'This is not happening.' Charlie Weis said he didn't want to be rude in front of the other recruits, but he wanted to meet with Kyle individually and tell him how much Notre Dame wanted him."

Mom was ready to sign on the spot. Kyle smiled politely and said thanks, he'd think about it.

Kyle Rudolph's paternal grandmother, the late Sharon Rudolph, was a big Irish fan. Her maiden name was O'Leary, which is as Irish as it gets.

"Kyle said to me, 'Mom, Nanna is up in heaven pushing me to Notre Dame,' "Jamie Rudolph said.

Kyle announced for Notre Dame a few months later. A few other big-time suitors were disappointed, such as Ohio State and Michigan and Tennessee, but the Golden Dome had worked its magic.

LEGENDARY HISTORY

Notre Dame lore includes books, movies and a famous documentary by NFL Films. The story of "Rudy" has taken its place along with the Four Horsemen, the Gipper and the Golden Boy.

Ruettiger, after being banged around as a practice player, finally got to dress for Notre Dame's final home game of 1975 against Georgia Tech. Ruettiger got into the game briefly in the final moments as a defensive end, and famously sacked the quarterback on the final play.

The movie depicts Ruettiger being carried off the field and teammates chanting, "Rudy, Rudy." According to the Notre Dame football media guide, those things actually did happen.

Rudolph, who was not quite 4 years old when "Rudy" was in movie theaters, will be the 12th Elder player to play for Notre Dame.

The ghosts of Gipp, Rockne, Leahy and, yes, Rudy will be waiting.

"Kyle is hoping that when he gets onto the field, that's what they will chant," Jamie Rudolph said. "He said, 'Mom, how cool would that be if they were chanting Rudy, Rudy for me?' "

Too cool to be true.

**NDboy15** · 08-20-2007, 07:05 PM

Just checked over varsity H.S. schedule and I'll be able to see him end of September when he comes up to Cleveland. I'll be rooting against him though!

08-20-2007, 06:25 PM	#104 (permalink)
johnnd05 Johnny T. works for me Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Berkeley, Calif. Posts: 4,629 Cash: 22,156.22 Bank: 0.00 Total Bankroll: 22,156.22 Donate	This Rudy no underdog Kyle Rudolph's legend built at Elder, at least for now BY TOM GROESCHEN \| TGROESCHEN@ENQUIRER.COM Elder football star Kyle Rudolph is nicknamed Rudy. Rudolph's favorite movie is, of course, the tearjerking "Rudy." The common thread is Notre Dame football, but Kyle "Rudy" Rudolph and cinema legend Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger could not be more different. The former is a superstar bound for the Irish in 2008, the latter an underdog whose story was so lovably hokey it became a famous motion picture. "I don't know how many times I've seen it," Kyle Rudolph said of the 1993 movie. "It's so inspirational." What could the two Rudys possibly have in common? Nothing, except that both are beloved. Ruettiger, for being an everyman hero. Rudolph, for a rare teenage trifecta of talent, maturity and humility. "Kyle is the total package, something I don't think we've seen since I've been here," said Elder athletic director Dave Dabbelt, who enters his 38th year at the school. "Along with him being such a great kid and a good student, he's just a rare athlete and works really hard. Little kids love him, and it's not something he's phony about. It's just who he is." Rudolph is the No. 1-rated tight end in America by Rivals.com. Great hands, runs well, blocks well, great strength. All incidental to those who know him. "He just has a good heart," said Jamie Rudolph, Kyle's mother. "He's a better kid than he is an athlete." A STAR AT 17 Rudolph, a 17-year-old Elder senior, is worshiped by West Side youngsters and admired by adults. He has it all, with size (6-foot-7, 230 pounds), athletic status (also the reigning Enquirer Division I basketball player of the year) and academic achievement (3.4 GPA). Yet, those who know Rudolph are impressed more by his character than his trophies. As a youngster Rudolph always looked out for those less gifted and less fortunate, and that continues to this day. At Elder football camp this summer, the elementary school kids got a chance to meet Panthers varsity players, put on Elder jerseys and get their pictures taken. Most every boy wanted to be photographed in Rudolph's No. 9 jersey. "My son Danny is going into first grade," said Sarah Ginn, a Rudolph family friend. "He got a No. 9 picture, of course, and he went around the neighborhood shouting, 'Look! I'm Rudy! I'm Rudy.' Kyle will stop by the house and throw a football with Danny, and Danny's just in heaven." Elder coach Doug Ramsey said Rudolph is the most heavily recruited player in Ramsey's 20 years at the school, 11 as head coach. When asked about Rudolph, Ramsey mentions the person. "He's great with the little kids, and he's great with his teammates," Ramsey said. "You should see him working our football camps . . . the kids just love him. He's everything you'd want your son to be." Notre Dame had the original Golden Boy in Paul Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner known for his fair-haired good looks and football prowess. Rudolph did dye his hair yellowish on a whim last summer, but now is back to his customary light brown hair. "Danny won't get his hair cut," Sarah Ginn said of her son, "because Kyle has been letting his grow out." Rudolph would rather talk about the kids than himself. He remembers idolizing Elder players, too, when he was growing up first at Our Lady of Victory parish in Delhi (grades 1-3) and then Our Lady of Visitation in Green Township. "When I was little, I looked up to the Elder players like Kyle Koester, and now I'm able to be that for the little kids," Rudolph said. "They kind of look up to me a lot, and it kind of makes their day when you say hi to them or hang out with them." Rudolph talks about this in a manner that says this is part of his job, to be a role model. He welcomes his status as someone who can make a difference. Ramsey said he was struck by a recent interlude where Rudolph counseled a junior teammate. "This kid is struggling a little bit, and Kyle took him off to the side and talked to him for about two hours," Ramsey said. "There were no coaches around. Kyle just took it upon himself to help the kid, talk about what to do to be successful." In the 1990s, there was a tongue-in-cheek rock song by Morrissey entitled, "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful." In Rudolph's case, good luck finding an envious peer. "You can walk through this whole school," Ramsey said, "and you'd be hard-pressed to find somebody that would say something bad about him. That's rare with athletes today. The kid that's the best athlete in the school, you obviously might find some jealousy. It's not that way here because he treats people right." Steve Hengehold, an Elder senior center/linebacker, has been playing football and basketball with Rudolph since fourth grade. Hengehold said Rudolph has not changed one iota. "He's always been real team-oriented," Hengehold said. "He's never tried to stand out and show everybody how great he is." CONSIDERS HIMSELF LUCKY Jamie Rudolph said Kyle is grounded by the fact that his younger brother Casey, who will be an Elder sophomore, was born with cancer. Casey had a kidney and an adrenal gland removed when he was an infant, but today plays football, hockey and lacrosse for Elder. The third sibling is a girl, Kori, who is in third grade. "I think Kyle knows what Casey went through, and he considers himself lucky," Jamie said. "He never takes anything for granted." Rudolph demurs when the term "Golden Boy" is mentioned. The closest he'll come is that yes, it certainly seems like a movie that his grandparents were Notre Dame fans and his paternal grandmother was Irish. Yet, he was not an especially big Notre Dame fan growing up. The place kind of grew on him, especially when he went up for a recruiting visit last November. "You go to a Catholic school and Notre Dame's a Catholic university, it just seemed like the right fit," Rudolph said. A PERSONAL OFFER Last November, Rudolph and his mom and dad (Dan) visited Notre Dame on a football weekend with about 45 other potential recruits. It was early on a game day, and Irish coach Charlie Weis got up in front of the group and made his spiel. He wished he could meet individually with each one of them but time didn't permit it ... you're all great athletes ... thanks again for coming. The Rudolphs got up to leave with the rest of the group, but then-Notre Dame assistant coach Rick Minter - the former University of Cincinnati head coach - tapped Jamie on the shoulder. "Can I talk to Kyle a minute?" Minter said. The Rudolph clan was ushered to Weis' office. This was shortly before a game, remember. Weis smiled and handed Kyle Rudolph a big, gold envelope. "It was his offer letter," Jamie Rudolph said. "I was like, 'This is not happening.' Charlie Weis said he didn't want to be rude in front of the other recruits, but he wanted to meet with Kyle individually and tell him how much Notre Dame wanted him." Mom was ready to sign on the spot. Kyle smiled politely and said thanks, he'd think about it. Kyle Rudolph's paternal grandmother, the late Sharon Rudolph, was a big Irish fan. Her maiden name was O'Leary, which is as Irish as it gets. "Kyle said to me, 'Mom, Nanna is up in heaven pushing me to Notre Dame,' "Jamie Rudolph said. Kyle announced for Notre Dame a few months later. A few other big-time suitors were disappointed, such as Ohio State and Michigan and Tennessee, but the Golden Dome had worked its magic. LEGENDARY HISTORY Notre Dame lore includes books, movies and a famous documentary by NFL Films. The story of "Rudy" has taken its place along with the Four Horsemen, the Gipper and the Golden Boy. Ruettiger, after being banged around as a practice player, finally got to dress for Notre Dame's final home game of 1975 against Georgia Tech. Ruettiger got into the game briefly in the final moments as a defensive end, and famously sacked the quarterback on the final play. The movie depicts Ruettiger being carried off the field and teammates chanting, "Rudy, Rudy." According to the Notre Dame football media guide, those things actually did happen. Rudolph, who was not quite 4 years old when "Rudy" was in movie theaters, will be the 12th Elder player to play for Notre Dame. The ghosts of Gipp, Rockne, Leahy and, yes, Rudy will be waiting. "Kyle is hoping that when he gets onto the field, that's what they will chant," Jamie Rudolph said. "He said, 'Mom, how cool would that be if they were chanting Rudy, Rudy for me?' " Too cool to be true. __________________ Stoney is a dead man.

06-04-2007, 01:50 PM	#101 (permalink)
Irishknight1023 LeBron James of VC Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,914 Cash: 3,862.13 Bank: 42,443.63 Total Bankroll: 46,305.76 Donate	http://notredame.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1824 Rivals has Rudolph as the #1 TE in the country which is what we already knew. They have Baldwin and Stoneburner both as TE's well even though they are recruit by mostly everybody as WR's.

06-08-2007, 02:20 AM	#102 (permalink)
Irishknight1023 LeBron James of VC Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,914 Cash: 3,862.13 Bank: 42,443.63 Total Bankroll: 46,305.76 Donate	Two random clips of Rudolph catching balls on two plays. It's video and it's YouTube so here it is.... http://youtube.com/watch?v=FmlpJWAUj...elated&search= and http://youtube.com/watch?v=ygk3dAT9E...elated&search=

06-20-2007, 02:22 PM	#103 (permalink)
GhostSpirit Weis' Recruiting Advisor Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 401 Cash: 10,321.75 Bank: 0.00 Total Bankroll: 10,321.75 Donate	Kyle Rudolph Cincinnati Elder Scouting Ohio Oh, just a few highlights of our future TE.

08-20-2007, 07:05 PM	#105 (permalink)
NDboy15 Freshman Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 618 Cash: 939.52 Bank: 14,857.61 Total Bankroll: 15,797.13 Donate	Just checked over varsity H.S. schedule and I'll be able to see him end of September when he comes up to Cleveland. I'll be rooting against him though!