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The Blind Side portrays stereotypes of Leigh Anne Tuohy being a mostly white Republican snob. But she proves this stereotype to be wrong when she responds to the nudging of God to take in a troubled young man by the name of Michael Oher. It also portrays a stereotype on African Americans being incapable of making good decisions. This movie is very inspirational and moving and it gives hope to all.

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Most will recognize Oher's name from the 2009 critically-acclaimed movie The Blind Side, which told the story of how the formerly homeless teen was taken in by a wealthy Memphis, Tennessee family who introduced him to football - a sport that not only helped him to go to college, but landed him a career in the NFL as a first-round draft pick.

However, since the film's release, Oher's career has plummeted and he has been cut from two different teams in the past six years
While at training camp with his current team, the Carolina Panthers, on Wednesday, Oher was involved in a fight with defensive end Kony Ealy.

When asked if the fight has anything to do with proving his worth after back-to-back struggling seasons, Oher pinned his problems on the movie.

'I’m not trying to prove anything,' Oher told ESPN. People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am. That’s why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field."

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IN THESE GROUPS

"It's true that we can't help the circumstances we're born into and some of us start out in a much tougher place than other people. But just because we started there doesn't mean we have to end there."

"I would have dreams all the time about me playing in the NFL. Every day I woke up, I said to myself ... I'm going to work hard ... to get to that next level."

"I came so far-from nothing to a Super Bowl championship."

"Believe me, I still think, 'Wow! This is crazy!' every time I check my bank statement."

"I always felt that I was ... smart. I just didn't have a lot of the resources that everybody else had ... It was tough for me to catch up."

"It was unbelievable just to ... walk across the stage and shake the principal's hand. I was the first one...out of anybody that I ever knew to ... graduate ... It was ... a great experience."

"I just love football. Football is what got me here. That's the reason I'm here. Everything else is second."

"I understand there are a lot of people I've inspired across the world. I'm trying to embrace that a lot better than I have in the past."

"Life is always about maturing and becoming a better version of yourself. Even after you've beaten the odds, there is still room to grow."

"I'm tired of the movie ['The Blind Side']. Football is what got me here, and the movie, it wasn't me."

Michael Oher is an NFL football player with the Baltimore Ravens. He was the subject of Michael Lewis's book 'The Blind Side' and the 2009 film of the same name.

Synopsis

Michael Oher was born on May 28, 1986, in Memphis, Tennessee. He came from a broken home and his estranged father was murdered while Oher was in high school. Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy became Oher's legal guardians and he developed into a college football star and a top NFL draft pick. Oher's story was told in Michael Lewis's book The Blind Side and the Sandra Bullock film of the same name.

Early Life

Football star Michael Oher was born Michael Jerome Williams Jr. on May 28, 1986, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of 12 children born to Michael Jerome Williams Sr. and Denise Oher, who provided their children with little to no support. Michael Sr. was frequently in prison, and Denise was addicted to crack cocaine. As a result, Michael Jr. was in-and-out of foster homes and frequently homeless. He also performed poorly as a student, repeating first grade and second grade and attending 11 different schools during his first nine years as a student. Oher's estranged father, was murdered while Oher was a senior in high school.

Turning Point

The young boy was finally taken in by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy when he was 16, and the Tuohys became Oher's legal guardians when he was 17. In his junior year, Oher began to excel in football. By the beginning of his senior year, Oher was the starting left tackle on the varsity football team. He quickly became a top football prospect in the state of Tennessee, which led to multiple scholarship offers from Division 1 schools.

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IN THESE GROUPS "It's true that we can't help the circumstances we're born into and some of us start out in a much tougher place than other people. But just because we started there doesn't mean we have to end there." "I would have dreams all the time about me playing in the NFL.

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Based on the true story of Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael "Big Mike" Oher. Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict. Michael has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him, including giving the coach a few ideas on how best to use Michael's skills. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Michael Oher was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft.

- Written by garykmcd

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'In a Heartbeat': The Tuohy Family Story

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The family behind "The Blind Side" has written a book about its experiences.