Michael Oher
Encyclopedia
Michael Jerome Oher is an American football
offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft
. He played college football at the University of Mississippi
for the Ole Miss Rebels
. His life through his final year of high school and first year of college is one of the subjects of Michael Lewis
's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
and the subject of the 2009 film The Blind Side
.
, he was one of twelve children to Denise Oher. His mother was an alcoholic and crack cocaine
addict, and his father, Michael Jerome Williams, was frequently in prison. Due to his upbringing, he received little attention and discipline during his childhood. He repeated both first and second grades, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student. He was placed in foster care at age seven, and alternated between living in various foster homes and periods of homelessness. Oher's biological father was a former cell mate of Denise Oher's brother and was murdered in prison when Oher was a senior in high school.
Oher played football during his freshman year at a public high school in Memphis and applied for admission to Briarcrest Christian School
at the instigation of acquaintance Tony Henderson, an auto mechanic, with whom he was living temporarily. Henderson was enrolling his son to the school in order to fulfill the dying wish of the boy's grandmother, and thought Oher might enroll as well. The school's football coach submitted Oher's school application to the headmaster, who agreed to accept him if Oher could complete a home study program first. Despite not finishing the program, he was admitted when the headmaster realized that his requirement had removed Oher from the public education system.
After the 2003 football season at Briarcrest, he was named Division II (2A) Lineman of the Year in 2003, and First Team Tennessee All-State. Scout.com
rated Oher a five-star recruit and the #5 offensive lineman prospect in the country. Before that season and for his prior twenty months at Briarcrest, Oher had been living with several foster families. In 2004, Leigh Anne
and Sean Tuohy
, a couple with a daughter and son attending Briarcrest, allowed Oher to live with them and eventually adopted him. The family began tending to his needs after becoming familiar with his difficult childhood. They also hired a tutor for him, who worked with him for twenty hours per week.
Oher also earned two letters in track and basketball. He averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds a game, earning All-State honors by helping lead the basketball team to a 27–6 record, winning the district championship as a senior. Oher was also a state runner-up in the discus as a senior.
Oher eventually increased his 0.76 grade point average (GPA) to a 2.52 GPA by the end of his senior year so he could attend a Div. I school by enrolling in some 10-day-long internet-based courses from Brigham Young University
. Taking and passing the internet courses allowed him to replace Ds and Fs earned in earlier school classes, such as English, with As earned via the internet. This finally raised his graduating GPA over the required limit.
, Louisiana State University
, the University of Alabama
, Auburn University
, and the University of South Carolina
, Oher ultimately decided to play for Coach Ed Orgeron
at the University of Mississippi
, alma mater of his guardians, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy. The decision sparked an investigation by the NCAA. The first issue was that Oher's grade-point average (GPA) was still too low to meet the requirements for a Division I scholarship at the time of the offer from Ole Miss. That difficulty was corrected by graduation, when Oher completed online classes through Brigham Young University.
The second issue was the Tuohys' preexisting relationship with the school and the fact that Oher's high school coach, Hugh Freeze, was employed by Ole Miss twenty days after Oher signed his letter of intent
. Freeze asserted that his position with Ole Miss was not an example of quid pro quo
for encouraging Oher to attend the school, but rather the result of his preexisting relationship with Ole Miss offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone
. The NCAA did not close its case on its suspicions of collusion. However, it ruled that Ole Miss had committed no NCAA violations in its recruitment of Oher. Freeze was found guilty of secondary violations for contacting other Memphis-area recruits before joining the Ole Miss staff.
Oher started in ten games as a guard
during his first season with the Ole Miss Rebels
, becoming a first-team freshman All American. After shifting to the position of left tackle for the 2006 season, he was named to various preseason All-Conference and All-American teams. Oher was named a second-team Southeastern Conference
(SEC) offensive lineman after his sophomore season and a first-team SEC offensive lineman after his junior season. Oher was also successful academically at Ole Miss, and his tested IQ score increased 20 to 30 points between when he was measured in the public-school systems growing up and when he was measured in college.
On January 14, 2008, Oher declared that he would be entering the 2008 NFL Draft
. However, two days later, he announced his withdrawal from the draft to return to Ole Miss for his senior season. After the 2008–2009 college football season, Oher was selected for the AP All-American first team, made the honor roll for the second time (the first time being his sophomore year), and graduated with a degree in criminal justice in the spring of 2009.
drafted Oher with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft
. The Ravens had acquired the pick from the New England Patriots
in exchange for their first- and fifth-round draft picks. The Tuohy family was there to witness his draft day selection.
. In week eight, he returned to right tackle.
Oher started every game in 2009, 11 at right tackle and five at left tackle. He played right tackle in his first post-season game, January 10, 2010, against the New England Patriots
, and did not allow a single sack
as the Ravens won 33–14.
Michael Oher was second in the voting for Associated Press
' NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, with six votes.
Prior to the 2010 NFL season
, Oher was moved to left tackle. During the 2011 pre-season, the Ravens announced that Oher would be moving back to the right side.
's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
. Before the book was published, excerpts appeared in The New York Times Magazine
as "The Ballad of Big Mike". His portion of the book was adapted for film
and was directed by John Lee Hancock
. It was released in the United States
on November 20, 2009. The movie stars Quinton Aaron
as Michael Oher, alongside Sandra Bullock
and Tim McGraw
. The movie was nominated for Academy Awards
for both Best Picture and Best Actress
for Bullock.
Bullock won an Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy
.
, Warrick Dunn
, and former Duke Lacrosse coach Mike Pressler
.
His adoptive parents are also the co-authors of the book, In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving, which tells the story in their own words, and was released in 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He played college football at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
for the Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
. His life through his final year of high school and first year of college is one of the subjects of Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis (author)
Michael Lewis is an American non-fiction author and financial journalist. His bestselling books include The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, Liar's Poker, The New New Thing, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, Panic and Home Game: An...
's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game is a book by Michael Lewis released in 2006 about American football.-Plot:It features two dominant storylines...
and the subject of the 2009 film The Blind Side
The Blind Side (film)
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical drama film. It is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL...
.
Early life
Born Michael Jerome Williams, Jr., in Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, he was one of twelve children to Denise Oher. His mother was an alcoholic and crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
addict, and his father, Michael Jerome Williams, was frequently in prison. Due to his upbringing, he received little attention and discipline during his childhood. He repeated both first and second grades, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student. He was placed in foster care at age seven, and alternated between living in various foster homes and periods of homelessness. Oher's biological father was a former cell mate of Denise Oher's brother and was murdered in prison when Oher was a senior in high school.
Oher played football during his freshman year at a public high school in Memphis and applied for admission to Briarcrest Christian School
Briarcrest Christian School
Briarcrest Christian School is an independent coeducational college preparatory school with two campuses in Shelby County, Tennessee, in Memphis and Eads ....
at the instigation of acquaintance Tony Henderson, an auto mechanic, with whom he was living temporarily. Henderson was enrolling his son to the school in order to fulfill the dying wish of the boy's grandmother, and thought Oher might enroll as well. The school's football coach submitted Oher's school application to the headmaster, who agreed to accept him if Oher could complete a home study program first. Despite not finishing the program, he was admitted when the headmaster realized that his requirement had removed Oher from the public education system.
After the 2003 football season at Briarcrest, he was named Division II (2A) Lineman of the Year in 2003, and First Team Tennessee All-State. Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
rated Oher a five-star recruit and the #5 offensive lineman prospect in the country. Before that season and for his prior twenty months at Briarcrest, Oher had been living with several foster families. In 2004, Leigh Anne
Leigh Anne Tuohy
Leigh Anne Roberts Tuohy is an American interior designer. She is best known for being featured in Michael Lewis's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, and its 2009 feature film adaptation The Blind Side...
and Sean Tuohy
Sean Tuohy
Sean Tuohy is an American sports commentator and restaurateur. He played college basketball at the University of Mississippi in the early 1980s, and is known for being the all-time assists leader in the Southeastern Conference ....
, a couple with a daughter and son attending Briarcrest, allowed Oher to live with them and eventually adopted him. The family began tending to his needs after becoming familiar with his difficult childhood. They also hired a tutor for him, who worked with him for twenty hours per week.
Oher also earned two letters in track and basketball. He averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds a game, earning All-State honors by helping lead the basketball team to a 27–6 record, winning the district championship as a senior. Oher was also a state runner-up in the discus as a senior.
Oher eventually increased his 0.76 grade point average (GPA) to a 2.52 GPA by the end of his senior year so he could attend a Div. I school by enrolling in some 10-day-long internet-based courses from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. Taking and passing the internet courses allowed him to replace Ds and Fs earned in earlier school classes, such as English, with As earned via the internet. This finally raised his graduating GPA over the required limit.
College career
Though he received scholarship offers from the University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, and the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
, Oher ultimately decided to play for Coach Ed Orgeron
Ed Orgeron
Ed Orgeron is an American football coach who is currently serving as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator for the USC Trojans. Orgeron previously served as the head football coach of the Ole Miss Rebels from 2005 to 2007...
at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, alma mater of his guardians, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy. The decision sparked an investigation by the NCAA. The first issue was that Oher's grade-point average (GPA) was still too low to meet the requirements for a Division I scholarship at the time of the offer from Ole Miss. That difficulty was corrected by graduation, when Oher completed online classes through Brigham Young University.
The second issue was the Tuohys' preexisting relationship with the school and the fact that Oher's high school coach, Hugh Freeze, was employed by Ole Miss twenty days after Oher signed his letter of intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
. Freeze asserted that his position with Ole Miss was not an example of quid pro quo
Quid pro quo
Quid pro quo most often means a more-or-less equal exchange or substitution of goods or services. English speakers often use the term to mean "a favour for a favour" and the phrases with almost identical meaning include: "give and take", "tit for tat", "this for that", and "you scratch my back,...
for encouraging Oher to attend the school, but rather the result of his preexisting relationship with Ole Miss offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone
Noel Mazzone
Noel Mazzone is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He is currently the offensive coordinator at Arizona State University, a position he had held since the 2010 season.-Early life and playing career:...
. The NCAA did not close its case on its suspicions of collusion. However, it ruled that Ole Miss had committed no NCAA violations in its recruitment of Oher. Freeze was found guilty of secondary violations for contacting other Memphis-area recruits before joining the Ole Miss staff.
Oher started in ten games as a guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
during his first season with the Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
, becoming a first-team freshman All American. After shifting to the position of left tackle for the 2006 season, he was named to various preseason All-Conference and All-American teams. Oher was named a second-team Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) offensive lineman after his sophomore season and a first-team SEC offensive lineman after his junior season. Oher was also successful academically at Ole Miss, and his tested IQ score increased 20 to 30 points between when he was measured in the public-school systems growing up and when he was measured in college.
On January 14, 2008, Oher declared that he would be entering the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. However, two days later, he announced his withdrawal from the draft to return to Ole Miss for his senior season. After the 2008–2009 college football season, Oher was selected for the AP All-American first team, made the honor roll for the second time (the first time being his sophomore year), and graduated with a degree in criminal justice in the spring of 2009.
College awards and honors
- 2005 First Team Freshman All-American
- 2005 First Team All-Quad Freshman Chrome [AQFC] Tackle Letius
- 2005 First Team SECSoutheastern ConferenceThe Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
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 TrophyOutland TrophyThe Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
finalist - 2008 Conerly TrophyConerly TrophyThe Conerly Trophy or Cellular South Conerly Trophy is an award given annually to the best college football player in the state of Mississippi by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.-Voting:...
finalist - 2008 Lombardi AwardLombardi AwardThe Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
semifinalist - 2008 SEC Jacobs Blocking TrophyJacobs Blocking TrophyThe Jacobs Blocking Trophy is the name of several similar annual college football awards bestowed by a conference upon their best blocker. The awards are named in honor of , the founder and president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. The trophies are awarded by his sons, Hugh and William...
2009 NFL Draft
The Baltimore RavensBaltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
drafted Oher with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. The Ravens had acquired the pick from the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in exchange for their first- and fifth-round draft picks. The Tuohy family was there to witness his draft day selection.
Baltimore Ravens
On April 26, 2009, he was assigned the #74 jersey, which was his jersey number at Ole Miss. On July 30, 2009, he signed a five-year, $13.8 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens. He started the 2009 season as right tackle, but was moved to left tackle after an injury to lineman Jared GaitherJared Gaither
Jared Gaither is an American football offensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2007 Supplemental Draft...
. In week eight, he returned to right tackle.
Oher started every game in 2009, 11 at right tackle and five at left tackle. He played right tackle in his first post-season game, January 10, 2010, against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, and did not allow a single sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
as the Ravens won 33–14.
Michael Oher was second in the voting for Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
' NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, with six votes.
Prior to the 2010 NFL season
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...
, Oher was moved to left tackle. During the 2011 pre-season, the Ravens announced that Oher would be moving back to the right side.
The Blind Side
Oher is one of the subjects of Michael LewisMichael Lewis (author)
Michael Lewis is an American non-fiction author and financial journalist. His bestselling books include The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, Liar's Poker, The New New Thing, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, Panic and Home Game: An...
's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game is a book by Michael Lewis released in 2006 about American football.-Plot:It features two dominant storylines...
. Before the book was published, excerpts appeared in The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
as "The Ballad of Big Mike". His portion of the book was adapted for film
The Blind Side (film)
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical drama film. It is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL...
and was directed by John Lee Hancock
John Lee Hancock
John Lee Hancock, Jr. is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer. He is best known for directing the sports drama films The Rookie and The Blind Side.-Early life:...
. It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on November 20, 2009. The movie stars Quinton Aaron
Quinton Aaron
Quinton Aaron, born August 15, 1984, is an American actor whose first lead role was as Michael Oher in the 2009 film The Blind Side.-Early Life:...
as Michael Oher, alongside Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
and Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
. The movie was nominated for Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for both Best Picture and Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for Bullock.
Bullock won an Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy
Leigh Anne Tuohy
Leigh Anne Roberts Tuohy is an American interior designer. She is best known for being featured in Michael Lewis's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, and its 2009 feature film adaptation The Blind Side...
.
I Beat The Odds
Oher has written his autobiography, I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond. His coauthor, Don Yaeger, has co-written a number of other sports biographies, including those of Walter PaytonWalter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
, Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn
Warrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...
, and former Duke Lacrosse coach Mike Pressler
Mike Pressler
Mike Pressler is an American lacrosse coach. He is currently the head coach of the Bryant University Bulldogs as well as the 2010 United States national lacrosse team. He served as the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils for 16 seasons until he was fired during the 2006 Duke University lacrosse...
.
His adoptive parents are also the co-authors of the book, In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving, which tells the story in their own words, and was released in 2010.