michael oher

College Ole Miss Conference SEC Sport Football Position OT Jersey # 74 Class Senior Career 2005–present Height 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Weight 325 lb (147 kg) Nationality United States Born May 28, 1986 (1986-05-28) (age 22)

Memphis, Tennessee High school Briarcrest Christian School,

Memphis, TN

Michael Jerome Oher (born Michael Jerome Williams Jr. on May 28, 1986) is an American college football player at the University of Mississippi. An offensive lineman, he is commonly regarded as a top prospect for left tackle in the National Football League. His life prior to college is the subject of Michael Lewis's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. Contents [hide] 1 Personal life 2 Football career 3 The Blind Side 4 References 5 External links //

Personal life

Oher's father was not involved in his upbringing (and was murdered when he was a junior in high school), and his mother was addicted to crack cocaine. As a result, he received little constructive attention during his formative years. He repeated both first grade and second grade, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student. He also alternated between time spent in various foster homes and periods with no fixed address until he was sixteen years old.[1]

That year, Oher applied for admission to a private school, Briarcrest Christian School, at the instigation of acquaintance Tony Henderson, with whom he was staying temporarily. Henderson was sending his son to the school in order to fulfill the dying wish of the boy's grandmother, and he decided that Oher might as well come along. Although the school's football coach was interested in Oher, school administrators did not feel that he was capable of handling the school's academic workload due to his scant educational background; however, he was admitted after he attempted to qualify for admission through a home-study program that removed him from the public education system.[1]

A white couple with a daughter at the school, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, allowed Oher to move in with them and began taking care of his needs after becoming familiar with his difficult personal circumstances. They also connected him with a tutor, who worked with him for twenty hours a week, eventually bringing his low-D performance up to a 2.05 grade point average. A series of internet-based courses from Brigham Young University served as replacements for poor marks earned earlier in his academic career, enabling him to become eligible to play football in college.[1]

Football career

Oher didn't play organized football of any kind until his junior year at Briarcrest Christian School, and he did not play left tackle until his senior year, where he replaced graduating senior Adam Madrid. Despite this, he was extremely well regarded as a prospect once he came to the attention of scouts, due to his size and athleticism. Oher was selected to play in the 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. ESPN football