27 Facts About Michael Oher

1.

Michael Oher played college football at Mississippi, where he earned unanimous All-American honors, and was selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

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2.

Michael Oher played for the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.

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3.

Michael Oher's mother suffered from alcoholism and crack cocaine addiction, and his father, Michael Jerome Williams, was frequently in prison.

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4.

Michael Oher received little attention and discipline during his childhood.

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5.

Michael Oher repeated first and second grades, and attended eleven schools during his first nine years as a student.

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6.

Michael Oher was placed in foster care at age seven, and alternated between living in various foster homes and periods of homelessness.

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7.

Michael Oher played football during his freshman year at a public high school in Memphis.

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8.

Michael Oher applied for admission to Briarcrest Christian School at the suggestion of Tony Henderson, an auto mechanic with whom he was living temporarily.

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9.

Michael Oher did not finish the program, but was admitted when the headmaster realized that his requirement had removed Oher from the public education system.

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10.

Michael Oher was a state runner-up in the discus as a senior.

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11.

That difficulty was corrected by graduation, when Michael Oher completed online classes through Brigham Young University.

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12.

Freeze asserted that his position with Ole Miss was not an example of quid pro quo for encouraging Michael Oher to attend the school, but rather the result of his preexisting relationship with Ole Miss offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.

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13.

Michael Oher started in ten games as a guard during his first season with the Ole Miss Rebels, becoming a first-team freshman All-American.

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14.

Michael Oher was named a second-team Southeastern Conference offensive lineman after his sophomore season and a first-team SEC offensive lineman after his junior season.

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15.

Michael Oher was successful academically at Ole Miss, and his tested IQ score increased 20 to 30 points between when he was measured in the public-school systems growing up and when he was measured in college.

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16.

On January 14,2008, Michael Oher declared that he would be entering the 2008 NFL Draft.

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17.

Already in 2008, Michael Oher was projected as one of the top prospects for the 2009 NFL Draft.

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18.

Michael Oher started the 2009 season as right tackle, but was moved to left tackle after an injury to lineman Jared Gaither.

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19.

Michael Oher started every game in 2009, eleven at right tackle and five at left tackle.

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20.

Michael Oher was second in the voting for Associated Press' NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, with six votes.

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21.

On March 14,2014, Michael Oher signed a four-year, $20 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.

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22.

On March 6,2015, Michael Oher signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.

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23.

On February 7,2016, Michael Oher was part of the Panthers team that played in Super Bowl 50.

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24.

On June 17,2016, Michael Oher signed a three-year contract extension with the Panthers worth $21.

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25.

Michael Oher was placed on injured reserve on November 25,2016, with a concussion—having played in only three games during the 2016 season.

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26.

On July 20,2017, Michael Oher was released by the Panthers after a failed physical.

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27.

Michael Oher wrote his autobiography, I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond, in 2011.

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