Rudy Reuttiger, whose struggles to realize his dream of playing football at the University of Notre Dame were the inspiration for the 1993 movie “Rudy,” will give an inspirational and motivational speech next week at the University of Maine.

Admission is free to hear Reuttiger, who will speak Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. at Alfond Arena in Orono. He has spent the last 13 years traveling the country speaking to corporations, university and high school students and sports teams, sharing his story about having a dream and achieving it despite obstacles, through hard work and perseverance.