SHOREWOOD, IL — Off the beaten path, a couple blocks south of busy Route 52 is a tan, windowless industrial building at 400 Earl Road that stands out inside this small business park. Rudy's Gym is where dreams are made, it's where three NFL Super Bowl champions trained, all under the tutelage of legendary world-champion powerlifter Francis "Rudy" Ruettiger.
The 1972 graduate of Providence Catholic High School is the younger brother of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, another larger-than-life Joliet sports legend who achieved world-wide acclaim thanks to the iconic 1993 underdog sports movie, "Rudy."
Tucked inside the Earl Road business park, Rudy's Gym has remained a fixture for the past 29 years and counting, and 51st year overall. Ruettiger opened his Rudy's Gym back in 1974 on Joliet's Richmond Street. He later moved to Black Road in Shorewood for about 15 years, before leasing the warehouse building owned by Charles Sharp.
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"He's a phenomenal human being," Ruettiger said of Sharp.
"Everybody needs to a good teacher and it fills my heart up to see that they're successful in life," Francis "Rudy" Ruettiger, owner of Rudy's Gym in Shorewood, explained. John Ferak/Patch
Before Rudy's Gym occupied the industrial warehouse, the building served as a training site for the former Empress Casino, now known as Hollywood Casino Joliet.
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Last week, during an unscheduled afternoon interview, Rudy's Gym was a hectic madhouse — as you might expect — high school and college athletes were constantly coming and going. These athletes make it a point to show their reverence to "Rudy" or "Coach," as they call him.
Athletes training at Rudy's Gym come from Joliet Catholic Academy, Providence, Plainfield South, Lincoln-Way, Minooka, Morris, Wilmington and even as far away as Benet Academy in Lisle.
Ruettiger said he easily has over 100 athletes training at Rudy's Gym heading into the summer.
"It's closed to the public," Ruettiger explained to Joliet Patch. "It's basically invitation only. They can contact me. Any sport they need it, they come in. Tennis, swimming, football, baseball, the kids will talk and contact me. "
Ruettiger said he invites prospective athletes inside for a one-on-one interview before they can join.
"I see why the kid wants to come here because I don't allow parents in here. Just the kids," he said. "I don't want kids looking over their shoulder. If the parents want to come in and see the place one time, that's it."
Ruettiger said he will accept kids as young as seventh grade "if I believe they're mature enough. In high school, it's all ages. Right now, I got all the college kids coming back. It's nice to have college kids. For me, it's not the sport. I want to know what you're going to do after school. It's teaching them about life."
Rudy's Gym also has a number of girls who train here, athletes in cheerleading, softball and soccer.
Ruettiger says he arrives at his gym around 4:30 a.m. because he has a 5 a.m. fitness class. The gym usually stays open until 5 or 6 p.m.
"Four days a week," Ruettiger explained. "Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We go hard at it Monday and Tuesday then a day off and go hard back at it for two more days."
'Discipline Is A Huge One'
Joliet Catholic Academy graduates Malachi Hood, who plays football at the University of University, and Jabrill Williams, who is at West Point, pose for a photo with Rudy's Gym owner and trainer Francis "Rudy" Ruettiger. John Ferak/Patch
Ruettiger said he tries to instill life lessons upon the high school and college athletes he's training. He wants his athletes to make sure they treat their parents with dignity and proper respect "and being good with people in general," he remarked.
"Discipline is a huge one," Ruettiger emphasized. "And being a good teammate. If you're going to be here, act like you want to be here. Set goals reasonable. Don't set goals too high or too fast that you will be depressed."
How does Ruettiger see his role at Rudy's Gym?
"Everybody needs to a good teacher and it fills my heart up to see that they're successful in life," he explained. "You've got to be tough on them sometimes. I feel it's my job to be a little tough on them ... and teach them to be good to your parents. You only a get one mom and dad, right?"
Another Rudyism is to make sure his athletes don't develop an elitist mindset.
"Don't ever look down on another athlete. Don't look down on them," he said. "Be humble."
"You Treat Them Right And They Come Back"
Athletes training at Rudy's Gym in Shorewood come from Joliet Catholic Academy, Providence, Plainfield South, Lincoln-Way, Minooka, Morris, Wilmington and even as far away as Benet Academy in Lisle. John Ferak/Patch
It would take days, probably weeks, for Rudy to go through all the newspaper articles, photographs and autographed portraits displayed on his walls inside Rudy's Gym.
The walls are covered with thousands of photos, newspaper articles and autographs of people who have trained at Rudy's Gym or may have been famous athletes or coaches who met Rudy.
His walls are donned with autographed photos of Joe Paterno, Penn State University football coaching legend, along with Lane Kiffin, Luke Butkus and Chris Collins.
"Coaches from all over the country come in here," he said. "Most will come during the spring they want to see exactly what kind of kids they'll be dealing work, the work ethic and how they get along with their teammates."
"That's the first thing that many of these coaches that come in here and say, 'this place looks like a museum. Every article that a kid from my gym is in I clip and put on the wall to honor them," Ruettiger said.
His walls feature photographs of Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Franco Harris, Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, Walter Payton and plenty of star athletes from the Joliet area and played professionally including Mike Alstott, John Ivlow, Rob Nickovich, Tom Thayer, John Scully who played center at Notre Dame and for the Atlanta Falcons, baseball player Mike Grace, North Carolina State basketball star Terry Gannon and Walter Downing, who played college basketball at DePaul and Marquette.
Rob Nickovich, Tom Thayer and John Ivlow have the distinction of being three NFL Super Bowl champions who all trained at Rudy's Gym. John Ferak/Patch
Nickovich, Thayer and Ivlow have the distinction of being three Super Bowl champions who all trained at Rudy's Gym. Ruettiger said he has three current NFL players training at his gym as well.
Thayer was the one of the super star athletes who trained under Ruettiger.
"We're still very close to this day," Ruettiger said of Thayer, who serves as a Chicago Bears radio announcer. "That's what's so great. You treat them right and they come back."
Ruettiger One Of 14 Siblings, 7 Boys, 7 Girls
Francis Ruettiger was one of 14 siblings, seven girls and seven boys. Only his father and his brother Daniel — of Rudy movie fame — went to Joliet Catholic.
"The rest of us went to Providence," he said.
Inside Rudy's Gym, Ruettiger has several autographed photos of showing his older brother Daniel playing and running on the field for the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. There are several promotional movie posters of "Rudy" displayed on many of the walls inside Rudy's Gym.
There are several promotional movie posters of "Rudy" displayed on many of the walls inside his younger brother Francis Ruettiger's Rudy's Gym. John Ferak/Patch
The industrial warehouse occupied by Rudy's Gym contains more than 10,000 square feet of space.
"Ninety-nine percent is free weights, there's also Pacific football machines and other exercise machines and training equipment for people that are hurt and a couple of older people that I train," he remarked.
As for Ruettiger, he turns 71 years old in June and shows no hint of slowing down. He plans to keep Rudy's Gym thriving and operating in Shorewood.
Ruettiger spent his career with the Joliet Police Department, where he became a detective. He retired from the agency in 2013.
Ruettiger has been inducted into the Joliet Catholic Academy Hall of Fame, Joliet Area Historical Museum's Hall of Fame, St. Mary Magdalene Grade School's Hall of Fame, the National Fitness Hall of Fame, Illinois Powerlifting Hall of Fame.
Ruettiger Has 82 Achieved World Records
Ruettiger said he will accept kids as young as seventh grade "if I believe they're mature enough. In high school, it's all ages. Right now, I got all the college kids coming back. It's nice to have college kids." John Ferak/Patch
When asked about his powerlifting world records, Ruettiger told Joliet Patch, "I have 82 of them. Different age groups, 26 world titles. My very first was in Canada in 1989. I was in the 165-pound class, 551-pound squat, bench 330 pounds and 551-pound dead lift. Powerlifting has taken me all over the world. Seven gold medals from the World Police And Fire Games and one bronze medal for boxing."
According tohis 2024 Joliet Catholic athletic Hall of Fame write-up: "Everybody knows Francis Ruettiger. Almost nobody calls him Francis. Almost everybody calls him “Rudy.” And everybody loves him. Rudy lettered in three sports in high school, earning all-conference and all-area honors in football. He also wrestled and played baseball before graduating in 1972. In 1974, Rudy married Kathleen, his high school sweetheart, and founded the now-famous “Rudy’s Gym” in Shorewood. He worked as a police officer and detective for 28 years in Joliet, retiring in 2013."
Like the rest of his siblings, he's used to everyone just calling him "Rudy."
"Hell, nobody calls me Francis, unless they're trying to be funny" he smiled. "I'm just proud that I became a good father and good husband. My two daughters each have three kids. All involved in sports. I think it's super important to get involved in something. My wife has been an angel and if it wasn't for sure, I wouldn't be able to do all this. She's been very supportive of my career."
Francis "Rudy" Ruettiger spent his career with the Joliet Police Department, where he became a detective. He retired from the agency in 2013.
It would take days, probably weeks, for Rudy to go through all the newspaper articles, photographs and autographed portraits displayed on his walls inside Rudy's Gym. John Ferak/Patch
It would take days, probably weeks, for Rudy to go through all the newspaper articles, photographs and autographed portraits displayed on his walls inside Rudy's Gym. John Ferak/Patch
It would take days, probably weeks, for Rudy to go through all the newspaper articles, photographs and autographed portraits displayed on his walls inside Rudy's Gym. John Ferak/Patch
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