Around this time three years ago, Michael Oher sat amongst throngs of reporters in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, the sight of Super Bowl XLVII. It was media day and he was ready to talk football after making it to the pinnacle of his profession in just his fifth season in the NFL. But the questioning surrounded another matter.
To the casual sports fan, Michael Oher was more recognizable as the main character of “The Blind Side”, the best-selling book by Michael Lewis turned Oscar-award winning film. The film, which grossed more than $300 million worldwide, focused on Oher’s life from his impoverished childhood to being adopted by Sean and Leigh Ann Tuohy to becoming one of the most coveted football recruits throughout college football.
“I’m tired of the movie. I’m here to play football. Football is what got me here and the movie, it wasn’t me,” Oher told reporters. “I always knew how to play football growing up. It was different personalities, stuff like that. Playing football is what got me to this point.”
It seemed that all the hard work that Oher had put into becoming an All-American at Ole Miss and first-round pick in the NFL Draft was becoming overshadowed by a false representation of himself. Nearly a year before becoming a Super Bowl champion (his Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31), Oher had come out with his own book “I Beat the Odds” in an effort to make sure that his own story was told in his own words.
“I’m not in the movies, man. I play football. I work hard on the field,” Oher said. “That’s why I don’t like talking about (the movie), because it kind of takes away from my hard work on the field. I kind of feel a little bit under-appreciated, but as long as my team and the guys in the locker room know what I bring to the table, it’s all good.”
Then-rookie and fellow linemate Kelechie Osemele found out quickly what Oher brought to the table.
“He’s nothing like that. I can’t even imagine Mike being like the guy they portrayed in the movie,” Osemele said. “He’s a lot more confident, he’s way more intelligent then they portrayed him to be.”
After the season, Oher signed a four-year, $20 million contract with the Tennessee Titans. A move that would bring him back to his native Memphis. However, the home coming wasn’t all he had hoped for. Oher was sidelined by a toe injury after starting the first 11 games of the 2014 season and his play had been so sub-par that the Titans chose to cut him, despite three years remaining on his contract.
At a football crossroads, Oher grew more perturbed by his cinematic representation and wondered if it would affect his future in the NFL.
“[T]hem showing me not knowing how to play football, that’s what upsets me most,” Oher said.
“This stuff, calling me a bust, people saying if I can play or not…that has nothing to do with football. It’s something else off the field. That’s why I don’t like that movie.”
Than a text message came from fellow SEC-alum, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. With the retirement of long-time stalwart Jordan Gross, the Panthers were in desperate need of a left tackle, a position Oher had not consistently played since his days at Ole Miss; but Newton was adamant.
“That made me feel at home,” Oher said. “Made me know that they wanted me.”
Oher signed a two-year, $7 million dollar deal. A move fans bemoaned at the time, but now could not be happier with. Oher, who reunited with his former-Ravens offensive line coach John Matsko in Carolina, has had a career resurgence. Along with center Ryan Kalil, Oher is the only Panthers linemen to start every game this season and now are set to play in their franchise’s second Super Bowl appearance.
“Nobody is paying attention to the offensive line. But me? I’m getting watched for everything,” Oher said this summer. “I know what type of player I am. Everybody else that I know knows what type of player I am. So that kind of stuff doesn’t worry me.”
