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: | Offensive 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 professional football player. He played as an offensive tackle for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Michael played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels. He was recognized as an All-American player in 2008.
The Baltimore Ravens chose Oher in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He played with the Ravens for five seasons. He was part of the team that won Super Bowl XLVII. Later, he played one season for the Tennessee Titans and two seasons for the Carolina Panthers.
Michael Oher's early life and first year of college are featured in the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. This book was later made into a movie called The Blind Side in 2009.
Contents
Michael Oher's Early Life
Michael Oher was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of 12 children. Michael faced many challenges, including the loss of his father during his high school years. He repeated first and second grades. He attended many different schools during his early years. At age seven, he was placed in foster care. He lived in various foster homes and sometimes had no home.
Michael played football during his freshman year at a public high school. He applied to Briarcrest Christian School after a suggestion from Tony Henderson. Michael was living with Henderson temporarily. The school's football coach, Hugh Freeze, helped Michael get accepted.
High School Sports and Studies
Coached by Freeze and Tim Long, Michael became a top player. He was named Division II (2A) Lineman of the Year in 2003. He also earned First-team Tennessee All-State honors. Experts rated Michael as a top offensive lineman prospect.
In 2004, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy invited Michael to live with them. They had children who also went to Briarcrest. The Tuohy family helped Michael with his schoolwork and social life. They hired a tutor who worked with him many hours each week.
Michael also played other sports. He earned two letters in track and basketball. In his senior year, he helped the basketball team win a district championship. He was also a state runner-up in the discus.
Initially, Michael's grades were low. This made it hard for him to get into a college sports program. He worked hard to raise his grades. By the end of his senior year, he improved his GPA significantly. He took online courses to help raise his grades. This allowed him to attend a Division I school. After his senior season, Michael played in the 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
College Football Career
Michael Oher received scholarship offers from several major universities. These included Tennessee, LSU, and Alabama. He chose to play for the University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss. This was the alma mater of his guardians, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy.
NCAA Investigation and Success
His choice to play for the Ole Miss Rebels football team 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 resolved when he completed online classes. Another concern was the Tuohys' connection to the school. Also, Ole Miss hired Coach Freeze shortly after Michael signed his letter of intent. The NCAA found that Ole Miss did not break any rules in recruiting Michael.
Michael started ten games as a guard in his first season at Ole Miss. He was named a first-team freshman All-American. In 2006, he moved to left tackle. He was named to several All-Conference and All-American teams. He was a second-team Southeastern Conference (SEC) offensive lineman after his sophomore year. He became a first-team SEC offensive lineman after his junior year. Michael also did well in his studies at Ole Miss.
On January 14, 2008, Michael said he would enter the 2008 NFL draft. However, he changed his mind two days later. He decided to return to Ole Miss for his senior season. After the 2008 season, Michael was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He also made the honor roll for the second time. He graduated with a degree in criminal justice in the spring of 2009.
College Awards and Honors
- 2005 First-team Freshman All-American
- 2006 Second-team All-SEC
- 2007 First-team All-SEC
- 2008 First-team All-American
- 2008 First-team All-SEC
- 2008 SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy
Professional Football Career
Michael Oher was seen as one of the top players for the 2009 NFL draft.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens picked Michael Oher as the 23rd player in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. The Tuohy family was there to see him get drafted.
On July 30, 2009, Michael signed a five-year contract with the Ravens. He started the 2009 season as a right tackle. He later moved to left tackle after another player was injured. In week eight, he returned to right tackle.
Michael started every game in 2009. He played eleven games at right tackle and five at left tackle. In his first post-season game, he played right tackle. He did not allow any sacks in that game. Michael was second in voting for the Associated Press' NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Before the 2010 NFL season, Michael moved to the left tackle position. In 2011, the Ravens announced he would move back to the right side. On February 3, 2013, Michael won a Super Bowl ring. He was the Ravens' starting right tackle when they beat the San Francisco 49ers 34–31 in Super Bowl XLVII.
Tennessee Titans
On March 14, 2014, Michael 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 Michael on February 5, 2015.
Carolina Panthers
On March 6, 2015, Michael Oher signed a two-year contract with the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers' General Manager, Dave Gettleman, said Michael would be their starting left tackle. Michael said that Cam Newton, the Panthers' quarterback, helped him decide to sign with Carolina.
Michael 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 snaps. He allowed a career-low number of sacks. He was also penalized only a few times.
Michael played in his second Super Bowl that season, Super Bowl 50. He was the starting left tackle. In the game, the Panthers lost to the Denver Broncos 24–10.
Michael signed a three-year contract extension with the Panthers on June 17, 2016. He was placed on injured reserve on November 25, 2016, due to a concussion. He had played in only three games during the 2016 season. On July 20, 2017, the Panthers released Michael.
Books and Movies
Michael Oher is one of the people featured in Michael Lewis's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. Parts of the book were made into a movie. The movie, The Blind Side, was released on November 20, 2009.
The movie stars Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher. Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw also star in the film. Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy.
Michael Oher wrote his own book in 2011. 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 Claims Against the Tuohy Family
In August 2023, Michael Oher filed a lawsuit. He said that the Tuohys never officially adopted him. Instead, he claimed they had him sign a document that made them his conservators. This gave them legal power over his business decisions. He claimed they used this power to make money from The Blind Side movie, while he did not receive any payments from the movie.
The movie producers and the book author said the Tuohy family received about $700,000 after taxes, not millions. Michael asked the court to end the conservatorship. He also wanted to know how much money the Tuohys made using his name and likeness, and he wanted to be paid his share.
The Tuohys later said in court that Michael had asked them for $15 million before he went public with his claims. In September 2023, a judge ended the conservatorship. The judge also allowed the case to continue. The Tuohys told the court they would remove all mentions of Michael being adopted from their website and public talks.
See also
In Spanish: Michael Oher para niños
