Michael Oher facts for kids
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Oher with the Carolina Panthers in 2016
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| No. 74, 72, 73 | |||||
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| Position: | Tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | May 28, 1986 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 315 lb (143 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Briarcrest (Eads, Tennessee) | ||||
| College: | Ole Miss (2005–2008) | ||||
| NFL Draft: | 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
Michael Jerome Oher (born May 28, 1986) is a former American professional football player. He played as a tackle for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Oher played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels. He was recognized as a top player, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2008. The Baltimore Ravens picked him in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He played five seasons with the Ravens and helped them win Super Bowl XLVII. Later, he played for the Tennessee Titans and the Carolina Panthers.
Michael Oher's life story, especially his high school and first college year, became famous. It was featured in Michael Lewis's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. This story was also made into a popular movie in 2009, called The Blind Side.
Contents
Michael Oher's Early Life and Challenges
Michael Jerome Williams, Jr. was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of 12 children. His childhood was very difficult. He did not get much attention or guidance. Michael repeated first and second grades in school. He went to eleven different schools during his first nine years.
When he was seven, he was placed in foster care. He often moved between foster homes and sometimes had no home at all. His father was not part of his life and passed away when Michael was in high school.
Starting Football in High School
Michael played football during his first year at a public high school in Memphis. A mechanic he was staying with, Tony Henderson, suggested he apply to Briarcrest Christian School. The school's football coach, Hugh Freeze, helped Michael get accepted.
At Briarcrest, Michael was coached by Freeze and Tim Long. In 2003, he was named Division II (2A) Lineman of the Year. He also made the First-team Tennessee All-State list. Experts at Scout.com rated him as a five-star recruit. This meant he was one of the best offensive lineman prospects in the country.
Finding a Family and Support
Before his senior year, Michael had lived with several foster families. In 2004, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy welcomed Michael into their home. They had two children who also went to Briarcrest. They later adopted him. The Tuohy family learned about Michael's tough childhood. They helped him with his needs. They also hired a tutor who worked with him for 20 hours each week.
Michael also played other sports. He earned two letters in track and two in basketball. In basketball, he scored about 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds per game. He earned All-State honors and helped his team win the district championship. In track, he was a state runner-up in the discus throw.
Improving His Grades for College
At first, Michael's grades were too low for him to join an Division I college program. He worked hard to improve his grade point average (GPA). He raised his GPA from 0.76 to 2.52 by the end of high school. He did this by taking online courses from Brigham Young University. These online classes helped him replace low grades with As. This allowed him to meet the minimum GPA needed for college.
After his senior football season, Michael played in the 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Michael Oher's College Football Career
Michael received scholarship offers from many top universities. These included Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, and South Carolina. He chose to play for Ed Orgeron at the University of Mississippi. This was the same college his guardians, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, attended.
His choice led to an investigation by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). One concern was his GPA, which was initially too low for a Division I scholarship. This was fixed when he improved his grades with online classes. Another concern was the Tuohys' connection to the school. Also, Ole Miss hired his high school coach, Hugh Freeze, shortly after Michael signed. The NCAA looked into these matters. They decided that Ole Miss did not break any rules in recruiting Michael.
Playing for the Ole Miss Rebels
In his first year with the Ole Miss Rebels, Michael started ten games as a guard. He was named a first-team freshman All-American. For the 2006 season, he moved to left tackle. He was then named to several preseason All-Conference and All-American teams.
After his second year, he was named a second-team Southeastern Conference (SEC) offensive lineman. After his third year, he became a first-team SEC offensive lineman. Michael also did well in his studies at Ole Miss. His tested IQ score improved significantly while in college.
On January 14, 2008, Michael first said he would enter the 2008 NFL Draft. But two days later, he decided to stay at Ole Miss for his senior year. After the 2008 season, he was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American. He also made the honor roll for his good grades. In the spring of 2009, he graduated with a degree in criminal justice.
College Awards and Honors
- 2005 First-team Freshman All-American
- 2005 First-team All-Quad Freshman Chrome [AQFC] Tackle Letius
- 2005 First-team SEC All-Freshman
- 2006 Second-team All-SEC
- 2007 First-team All-SEC
- 2008 First-team All-American
- 2008 First-team All-SEC
- 2008 Shug Jordan Award as the Southeast Offensive Lineman of the Year
- 2008 Colonel Earl "Red" Blaik Leadership-Scholarship Award
- 2008 Outland Trophy finalist
- 2008 Conerly Trophy finalist
- 2008 Lombardi Award semifinalist
- 2008 SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy
Michael Oher's Professional Football Career
Even in 2008, Michael Oher was seen as one of the top players for the 2009 NFL draft.
Pre-Draft Measurements
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) |
309 lb (140 kg) |
33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) |
10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
5.16 s | 1.75 s | 2.99 s | 4.60 s | 7.81 s | 31.0 in (0.79 m) |
8 ft 7 in (2.62 m) |
23 reps | 19 |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Playing for the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens chose Michael Oher as the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. The Tuohy family was there to see him get drafted.
On July 30, 2009, Oher signed a five-year contract worth $13.8 million with the Ravens. He started the 2009 season as a right tackle. Later, he moved to left tackle when another player was injured. In week eight, he returned to right tackle.
Oher started every game in 2009. He played eleven games at right tackle and five at left tackle. In his first playoff game, he played right tackle. He did not allow any sacks, helping the Ravens win.
He finished second in the voting for the Associated Press' NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Before the 2010 NFL season, Oher was moved to the left tackle position. In 2011, the Ravens announced he would move back to the right side. On February 3, 2013, Oher won a Super Bowl ring. He was the starting right tackle when the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34–31 in Super Bowl XLVII.
Time with the Tennessee Titans
On March 14, 2014, Oher signed a four-year contract with the Tennessee Titans. He started eleven games for the Titans. However, he was placed on injured reserve in December due to a toe injury. The Titans released Oher on February 5, 2015.
Joining the Carolina Panthers
On March 6, 2015, Oher signed a two-year contract with the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers' General Manager, Dave Gettleman, said Oher would be their starting left tackle. Oher said that Cam Newton, the Panthers' quarterback, helped him decide to join the team.
Oher had one of his best seasons as a professional with the Panthers. He protected Newton very well. He played in almost all of the team's plays. He allowed a career-low four sacks and was penalized only three times.
Oher played in his second Super Bowl that season, Super Bowl 50. He was the starting left tackle. The Panthers lost to the Denver Broncos 24–10.
Oher signed a new three-year contract with the Panthers on June 17, 2016. He was placed on injured reserve in November 2016 due to a concussion. He had played in only three games that season. On July 20, 2017, the Panthers released Oher after he failed a physical exam.
Books About Michael Oher
Michael Oher's story is a big part of Michael Lewis's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. Parts of the book were first published in The New York Times Magazine.
His story from the book was made into a movie called The Blind Side. The movie came out on November 20, 2009. Quinton Aaron played Michael Oher. Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw also starred in the film. The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actress. Sandra Bullock won the Oscar for her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy.
In 2011, Michael Oher wrote his own book. It is called I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond.
Michael Oher's Personal Life
Michael Oher started dating Tiffany Roy when they met at the University of Mississippi. They have four children together, two sons and two daughters. They got engaged on July 21, 2021. They were married on November 5, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. They had been together for 17 years when they got married.
Legal Matters with the Tuohy Family
In August 2023, Michael Oher filed a lawsuit. He claimed that Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy never truly adopted him. Instead, he said they set up a conservatorship. This gave them legal power to make business decisions for him.
Oher asked the court to end the Tuohys' conservatorship. He also asked for a full report of any money the Tuohys made using his name. A judge ended the conservatorship in September 2023. The Tuohys later told the court they would remove all mentions of Oher being adopted from their website and public talks.
