Michael Oher

In this report, I’m going to write about a “NFL” National Football League professional football player. A football player that I’m sure a lot of people have heard of. A movie was even made about his life story. The movie “The Blind Side” came out in 2009. Sandra Bullock played the part of the adoptive mother and Tim McGraw played the adoptive father.

His name is Michael Jerome Oher. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee on May 28, 1986. So he is now currently 25 years old. He is an Offensive Tackle for the National Football League, Baltimore Ravens. He is a BIG MAN! He weights 313 lbs. and is 6 feet, and 4 inches tall!

He was born with the name his birth parents gave him, Michael Jerome Williams Jr. He was raised in a family where his mother was an alcoholic and a drug addict, and his father was always in and out of prison. He also had twelve brothers and sisters. When Michael Oher was a Senior in high school, his biological father was killed in prison.

Even though Michael Oher was moved to eleven different schools during his first through ninth grade years of school, he managed to get into a very good Christian High School, “Briar Crest Christian School” in Memphis, Tennessee.

After living in several different foster homes for almost the first 2 years of attending Briar Crest, he was finally adopted by a family who had kids that also went to Briar Crest Christian School. The adoptive parents names were Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy. This family took him in, because they understood what this kid had been through, and that he had had a hard life. They wanted to help him, so they took him into their home and officially adopted him in 2004. These parents even got a tutor for him to help him with his grades. He came up from having a 0.4 all the way to a 2.52 by the end of his Senior year in high school.

By the time Michael Ohers graduated from high school, he had been offered scholarships to go to 4 different Universities. He decided to go to the University of Mississippi, which is also where his adoptive parents had also gone.

He started for the football team during his freshman year at Ole’ Miss as a guard, the next year though, he played left tackle. He also got his grades higher, and in 2008, he decided he was going to play professional football. Then all of the sudden, he changed his mind and continued at the University of Mississippi. During his time at this University, he received so many awards and honors, for his performance and skill. Michael Oher graduated in 2009 from the University of Mississippi, with honors. And received a degree in Criminal Justice.

Michael Ohers was the 23 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2009! He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. He was given the number 74 jersey, which was also his jersey number while he played football when he was in the University.

In 2009 he signed a contract for five years for $13.8 MILLION DOLLARS!! He played right tackle first, then he was moved to Left Tackle, and continued to play both positions throughout the year.

Besides the movie made about his life “The Blind Side”, which was also nominated for Academy Awards, Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her part in the movie where she played to adoptive mother, Leigh Anne Tuohy. Michael Oher also wrote a book. An autobiography. His adoptive parents also helped out in writing this book, and they named it “In a Heartbeat” and was out in 2010.

The story of this man is so amazing because of everything he has been through in his life, while he was growing up. Like since he was born! Up until he met his adoptive parents. His adoptive parents talk about how he would never show emotion or like hug them back. His adoptive mother says she never got a hug from him until like a year after living with him.

I think this shows that Michael didn’t know what it felt like for someone to really care for him. But he finally figured it out and he accomplished so much because of this family. His story must have inspired a lot of other people, because in our world, everyone needs some kind of help. And it would be great if every person in this world would do something good or like positive for someone else… this whole world might become a better place. Just like this family made a difference by opening up their house to a complete stranger, and helped lead his life into a complete opposite direction from which he was probably headed. From being homeless to being a famous NFL player making millions of dollars!