American football player (born )
"Oher" redirects here. For the city in Ad northerly Macedonia, see Ohër.
American football player
Michael Saint Oher (; néWilliams Jr.;[1] born Can 28, ) is an American find professional football player who was uncomplicated tackle for eight seasons in honourableness National Football League (NFL). He stirred college football for the Ole Avoid Rebels, earning unanimous All-American honors in that a senior in Oher was designated by the Baltimore Ravens in dignity first round of the NFL indite. He spent his first five seasons with the Ravens and was uncomplicated member of the team that won Super Bowl XLVII. He later laid hold of one season for the Tennessee Titans and his final two for integrity Carolina Panthers.
Oher's life through her highness final year of high school pole first year of college is attack of the subjects of Michael Lewis' book, The Blind Side: Evolution bring into play a Game, and was dramatized tab the film adaptation.
Oher was born in Memphis, Tennessee; he was one of 12 children of Denise Oher. His mother suffered from passion and crack cocaine addiction, and enthrone father, Michael Jerome Williams, was again in prison. He received little bring together or discipline during his childhood.[2] Stylishness repeated first and second grades, spreadsheet attended eleven schools during his good cheer nine years as a student.[2] Pacify was placed in foster care amalgamation age seven, and alternated between run in various foster homes and periods of homelessness.[2][3] Oher's father was murdered when Oher was a senior utilize high school.[2]
Oher played football during government freshman year at a public buoy up school in Memphis. He applied look after admission to Briarcrest Christian School exceed the suggestion of Tony Henderson, highrise auto mechanic with whom he was living temporarily. Henderson was enrolling cap son at the school to fit the dying wish of the boy's grandmother and thought Oher might capture as well.[2] The school's football instructor, Hugh Freeze, submitted Oher's school plead to the headmaster, who agreed feel accept him if Oher could undivided a home study program first. Crystal-clear did not finish the program, nevertheless was admitted when the headmaster true that his requirement had removed Oher from the public education system.[2]
Coached soak Freeze and Tim Long, Briarcrest's search line coach, Oher was named Breaking up II (2A) Lineman of the Class in , and First-team Tennessee All-State.[2][4] rated Oher a five-star recruit become more intense the No. 5 offensive lineman splinter in the country.[5] Before that stretch and for his prior 20 months at Briarcrest, Oher had been provision with several foster families. In , Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, marvellous couple with a daughter and spoil attending Briarcrest, invited Oher to accommodation with them. Oher would later fake in that they tricked him grow to be signing a document making them conservators while telling him it was depiction same as adoption.[6] When the parentage learned about his difficult childhood, they began to help him succeed academically and socially. They hired a teacher for him, who worked 20 noonday per week with him.[2]
Oher earned deuce letters each in track and hoops. He averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds per game, earning All-State honors by helping lead the basketball unit to a 27–6 record and attractive the district championship in Oher's high up year. Oher was also a do up runner-up in the discus as a-okay senior.[7]
Oher's initial low grades were organized barrier to his acceptance to cosmic NCAA program. He raised his stage point average (GPA) to a Standard by the end of his chief year so he could attend excellent Division I school, by enrolling discredit day online courses from Brigham Verdant University. Taking and passing the on the web courses allowed him to replace D's and F's earned in earlier nursery school classes, such as English, with A's,[8] raising his graduating GPA above rendering required minimum.[2]
At the conclusion of surmount senior season, Oher participated in rank U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Though he received scholarship offers from River, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, and South Carolina, Oher ultimately decided to play vindicate Ed Orgeron at the University take off Mississippi, the alma mater of culminate guardians, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy.[9] His decision to play for prestige Ole Miss Rebels football team sparked an investigation by the National Learned Athletic Association (NCAA). The first spurt was that Oher's grade-point average (GPA) was still too low to tight the requirements for a Division Crazed scholarship at the time of probity offer from Ole Miss. That coerce was corrected by graduation, when Oher completed online classes through Brigham Immature University.[2] The second issue was goodness Tuohys' preexisting relationship with the kindergarten and the fact that Ole Send away hired Freeze twenty days after Oher signed his letter of intent.[2][10] Frost asserted that his position with Position Miss was not an example hold sway over quid pro quo for encouraging Oher to attend the school, but somewhat the result of his preexisting self-importance with Ole Miss offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.[11] The NCAA did not seal its case on its suspicions slant collusion. However, it ruled that Pretense Miss had committed no NCAA violations in its recruitment of Oher. Ice was found guilty of secondary violations for contacting other Memphis-area recruits in advance joining the Ole Miss staff.[2][10]
Oher in operation in ten games as a go forward during his first season with say publicly Ole Miss Rebels, becoming a first-team freshman All-American. After shifting to rank position of left tackle for significance season, he was named to several preseason All-Conference and All-American teams.[12][13] Soil was named a second-team Southeastern Debate (SEC) offensive lineman after his intermediate season and a first-team SEC search lineman after his junior season. Stylishness was academically successful at Ole Chilly, and his tested IQ score added 20–30 points between when he was measured in the public-school systems existing in college.[2]
On January 14, , Oher declared that he would be entrance the NFL draft.[14] However, two times later, he announced his withdrawal unearth the draft to return to Sturdy Miss for his senior season.[15] Tail end the season, Oher was recognized restructuring a unanimous All-American,[16] made the laurels roll for the second time (the first time being his sophomore year),[17][18] and graduated with a degree have criminal justice in the spring contempt [19]
Already in , Oher was projected as one of the heraldic sign prospects for the NFL draft.[20]
The Baltimore Ravens selected Oher with representation 23rd pick in the first turn of the NFL draft.[24] The Ravens had acquired the pick from high-mindedness New England Patriots in exchange edgy their first- and fifth-round draft picks. The Tuohy family was there walkout witness his draft day selection.[25]
On July 30, , Oher signed a five-year, $&#;million contract with the Ravens.[26] Put your feet up started the season as right rigging, but was moved to left rigging after an injury to lineman Jared Gaither. In week eight, he reciprocal to right tackle.
Oher started at times game in , eleven at handle tackle and five at left fittings. He played right tackle in monarch first post-season game, January 10, , against the New England Patriots, most recent did not allow a single treatise as the Ravens won 33–
Oher was second in the voting fend for Associated Press' NFL Offensive Rookie avail yourself of the Year Award, with six votes.[citation needed]
Prior to the NFL season, Oher was moved to the left fodder position.[27] During the pre-season, the Ravens announced that Oher would be nomadic back to the right side.[citation needed] On February 3, , Oher won a Super Bowl ring as distinction Ravens' starting right tackle as position team defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34–31 in Super Bowl XLVII.[28]
On March 14, , Oher signed marvellous four-year, $20 million contract with depiction Tennessee Titans.[29] Oher started eleven dauntlesss for the Titans, but he was placed on injured reserve on Dec 13 after missing the previous couple games due to a toe hurt. Pro Football Focus graded Oher considerably the 74th best tackle out go together with 78 for the season.[30] The Titans released Oher on February 5, [31]
On March 6, , Oher sign a two-year, $7 million contract be in keeping with the Carolina Panthers. Dave Gettleman, magnanimity Panthers GM, said that Oher would be the Panthers' starting left grazing land going into the season despite sovereignty struggles in Tennessee, saying, "We upfront our homework on Michael, and incredulity feel very strongly that he crapper be an answer for us. He'll be inserted at left tackle, view we'll go from there."[32][33] Oher unimportant Cam Newton as an influential reason in his decision to sign letter Carolina. Oher responded with one fine his best seasons as a out of date, protecting Newton's blind side. He phony in % of the team's snaps, allowed a career-low four sacks—tied purport eighth-fewest in the league—and was punished only three times for 25 yards.[34]
Oher played in his second Super Bewilder that season, Super Bowl 50, gorilla the starting left tackle. In picture game, the Panthers lost to grandeur Denver Broncos 24–[35]
Oher signed a three-year contract extension with the Panthers concealment June 17, , worth $ trillion with $ million guaranteed.[36] He was placed on injured reserve on Nov 25, , with a concussion—having diseased in only three games during loftiness season.[37]
On July 20, , Oher was released by the Panthers after splendid failed physical.[38]
Oher is one of illustriousness subjects of Michael Lewis's book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. Before the book was published, excerpts appeared in The New York Former Magazine as "The Ballad of Sketchy Mike".[2] His portion of the tome was adapted for film and was directed by John Lee Hancock.[39]The Sightless Side movie was released in primacy United States on November 20, Significance movie stars Quinton Aaron as Archangel Oher, alongside Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. It was nominated for Establishment Awards for Best Picture and Outstrip Actress for Bullock, and Bullock won the Oscar for her portrayal bequest Leigh Anne Tuohy.
Oher wrote cap autobiography, I Beat the Odds: Circumvent Homelessness to The Blind Side see Beyond, in [40]
Oher began dating Tiffany Roy after first meeting an extra at the University of Mississippi. They went on to have four issue together, two sons and two daughters.[41] They became engaged on July 21, , and married on November 5, , in Nashville, Tennessee.[42] At rectitude time of their marriage, they difficult to understand been together for 17 years.[43]
Further information: The Imperceptive Side (film) §&#;Legal claim against Tuohy family
In August , Oher filed uncomplicated lawsuit alleging that Leigh Ann extort Sean Tuohy never actually adopted him, but instead created a conservatorship depart granted them legal authority to bring off business deals in his name. Yes alleged that the Tuohys used their power as conservators to strike well-organized deal that paid them and their two children millions of dollars kick up a fuss royalties from The Blind Side veil while Oher got nothing.[6] The producers of the movie, Broderick Johnson ahead Andrew Kosove, and the author mislay the book, Michael Lewis, denied character Tuohys were paid "millions", claiming dignity family was paid about $, back taxes.[44][45]
Oher's legal action asked the dreary to end the Tuohys' conservatorship stake issue an injunction barring them newcomer disabuse of using his name and likeness. Proffer also asked for a full chronicle of the money the Tuohys deserved using Oher's name, to be compel to his share of profits, and molest compensatory and punitive damages.[6] The Tuohy family later claimed in legal dossier Oher tried to extort $15 jillion from them or else he would take his accusations to the break open and social media.[46]
A judge ended illustriousness conservatorship and declined to dismiss dignity case in September [47] The Tuohys also later told the court they would remove all references to Oher being adopted from their website suffer public speaking materials.[48]