Michael Oher

Offensive tackle Michael Oher plays for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League. He was selected 23rd overall the the 2009 NFL draft. Oher played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels in the NCAA.

His story of coming off the streets to a become top NFL draft selection was featured in a best-selling novel, The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game. A movie, The Blind Side, is set to be released on November 20, 2009, and stars Sandra Bullock and Kathy Bates.

After playing at Briarcrest Christian, Oher was heavily recruited by the University of Tennessee, University of Alabama and Louisiana State University, but selected the University of Mississippi, as that is where his adopted father attended. He started in 47-consecutive games with the Rebels, which was third-best among SEC players.OleMissSports.com: Michael Oher

Oher was born to Denise Oher, who suffered an addiction to crack cocaine. At the age of seven, he was shipped between foster homes, often living on the streets and begging for food. His father was murdered while he was in middle school. While attending Briarcrest Christian, he was taken in by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, a wealthy family in the area. Sean Tuohy, a former basketball player, took Oher under his wing, helping him academically and on the field to help him get into the University of Mississippi.The New York Times: The Ballad of Big Mike

Oher's journey was chronicled in The New York Times best seller The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game written by Michael Lewis.OleMissSports.com: Michael Oher