Michael Jerome Oher was born on May 29, 1986, in Memphis, Tennessee. Michael had a tough upbringing. He grew up one of 12 children born to his mother, Denise, who suffered from addiction issues, and his father, Michael, who was in and out of prison. His father was later murdered during Oher’s high school years.
Michael Oher frequently switched schools as a child, as he was in and out of foster homes. He also struggled with homelessness on multiple occasions. After eventually applying and being accepted to Briarcrest Christian school, Oher began to excel in football, and eventually was adopted and cared for by the Tuohy family.
Michael Oher attended The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss. There he began his collegiate football career as a guard, and then switched to left tackle for the 2006 season. In 2008, Oher entered the 2008 NFL Draft, but decided to return to Ole Miss for his senior season as a Rebel, eventually graduating with a degree in criminal justice.
During the 2009 NFL Draft, Oher was selected 23rd overall by the Baltimore Ravens, signing a $13.8 million contract. Starting for all 16 games, Oher helped the team reach the playoffs. During his professional football career, Michael Oher also played for the Tennessee Titans and the Carolina Panthers.
In addition to his fame amongst football fans, Michael Oher reached national acclaim by becoming the subject of Michael Lewis’s 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, as well as the film, The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates, and Quinton Aaron as Oher.
Michael Oher is now retired from football, but his impact in the game is clear. Michael Oher proved to everyone that a tough situation can be turned around if you work hard and pursue your passions.
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Kassidy Garland has had a great appreciation for reading and writing since she was young. She graduated from West Chester University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English & Women and Gender Studies. With a concentration in creative writing, Kassidy has 5 years of experience writing blogs, articles, and for social media. Kassidy is also pursuing a Master’s degree in IT with a concentration in Web Development. Based out of Philadelphia, Kassidy loves to write about a number of topics and looks forward to sharing her passion with those at FunTimes Magazine.
