Sandra Varner’s Celebrity Profiles
Left, Michael Oher of the Baltimore Ravens is the real life subject of the new movie, “The Blind Side” starring Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron; Bullock (center), Aaron (right) costars as Michael Oher. Opens in theaters on Nov. 20 from Warner Bros. Pictures.
Country Western superstar Tim McGraw (seated left) costars as Sean Tuohy in “The Blind Side” along with Lilly Collins (standing) and Jae Head (center bottom, standing)
THE BLIND SIDE is the moving and triumphant true story of Michael Oher, once an impoverished and introverted teen, now a professional football player with the Baltimore Ravens. A wealthy white family who brought him into their home and into their lives, providing an environment for him to excel, intercepted Oher’s unstable childhood in Memphis, TN.
If this sounds like a “white-washed” fable, it is not. Actually, humanity is at the core of this story and it illuminates what genuine concern, compassion and yes, wealth, can do to transform lives on both sides of a situation. However, money is the least of these in the story of Michael Oher and the Tuohy family.
The Tuohys (pronounced two-ee) show us what determination and perseverance are all about in THE BLIND SIDE, rated PG-13 and opening in theaters on November 20 from Warner Bros. Pictures.
Leigh Anne Tuohy, a conservative social butterfly of the first order along with Sean, her supportive husband, a successful entrepreneur and their two children, daughter Collins and Son, S.J., did the unthinkable within their social circle. They embraced an African American teenage boy, from the projects, abandoned by his mother, Denise, with no place to live and gave him shelter. In the process of doing so, they gave each other a greater sense of purpose, resulting in a near fairy tale ending.
Sandra Bullock (“The Proposal”) stars as the feisty and unstoppable Leigh Anne and displays her dexterity as both a comedic and dramatic actor, Tim McGraw (“Friday Night Lights”) costars as Sean Tuohy, Quinton Aaron (“Be Kind, Rewind”) stars as Michael Oher with Oscar winner Kathy Bates, Lilly Collins, Jae Head, and Tony winner Adrian Lenox as Denise Oher.
Overview
The subject of the New York Times bestseller by Michael Lewis, "The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game," Oher has been the anchor of the Rebels' offensive line since being inserted into the starting lineup after the second game of his freshman season. He lined up at right offensive guard during his first season at Mississippi before shifting to the demanding left tackle position as a sophomore. He would end his career with the third-best active consecutive starts string (47) among Southeastern Conference players.
Oher was regarded as one of the finest offensive linemen in the nation at Briarcrest Christian School. The EA Sports and USA Today All-American choice was a member of the 2005 Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association All-Star team selected to compete against the Kentucky prep all-stars. He also competed in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, and was named to Rivals.com's All-American Bowl All-Time Team.
As a senior, the first-team All-South selection by Fox Sports and the Orlando Sentinel was credited with 130 knockdown blocks, grading over 90% for blocking consistency, as he did not allow a quarterback sack. As a junior, he posted 83 knockdowns and graded 85%, helping lead Briarcrest to a 10-3 record and 2004 state championship.
In addition to earning two letters in football, Oher also lettered twice in both basketball and track. The basketball team went 27-6 in 2004, winning the district championship, as Oher averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds per game, earning All-State honors as well as making the Sun Coast All-Tourney team. In track, he was state runner-up in the discus.
Heavily recruited by many major colleges, Oher enrolled at Mississippi in 2005. He moved into the starting lineup in the second game of the season, starting the final 10 contests at right offensive guard. He produced 64 knockdowns, a remarkable total for a team that managed to average only 73.27 yards per game rushing, as the ground attack produced just six touchdowns for the season. For his performance, he was selected Freshman All-American first-team by Rivals.com and The Sporting News.
Rated the third-best offensive tackle in college football by Lindy's magazine in 2007, Oher received All-American fourth-team accolades. He started all 12 games at left tackle, coming up with 99 knockdowns that included 12 touchdown-resulting blocks, including each of the team's eight rushing scores. Green-Ellis gained more than 70% of his 1,137 yards rushing (second-best season total by an Ole Miss player) running behind Oher.
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