Michael Oher

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Heroes- everyone knows one, witnessed one, and has been inspired by a hero, but what makes a hero a hero?  By what they accomplished?  No, it is how they accomplished their greatness.  That is why Michael Jerome Oher is a hero.  He grew up in poverty with a mom addicted to crack-cocaine and a father that was frequently in and out of prison.  Despite Oher having parents that could not provide for the family, nor seemed to care, he pushed through and was a very successful man playing division-1 football in college and making it professionally to the NFL, and even having a movie made about him.  Michael Oher is a hero because of the challenges he pushed through and survived, the great things he accomplished, and how much he achieved with the little he had.

Michael Jerome Oher was born on May 28, 1986 in Memphis Tennessee.  He was one of twelve children in his family and had little parental support.  His father, Michael Jerome Williams, was frequently in and out of prison, and Oher's mother, Denise Oher, was addicted to crack-cocaine.  Due to his parents' lack of care for their twelve children, he was constantly in and out of foster homes, and sometimes even homeless.  Not only did Oher have rough living conditions, he also performed poorly at school, having to repeat first and second grade and moving between eleven different schools.

Oher's life changed drastically when he was a freshman at a local Memphis High School by applying for a transfer to Briarcrest Christian School.  Oher only applied because of Tony Henderson, who Oher was living with at the time.  Henderson was applying for his son and thought Oher might as well apply.  As soon as Henderson, Oher, and Henderson's son set foot on campus to turn in the applications, the head football coach at Briarcrest instantly saw and desired Oher due to his size and height. The coach was so excited to get Oher on his team that he actually turned in the applications for Oher and Henderson's son himself to the headmaster of Briarcrest.  Oher was finally accepted and started at the new school immediately.  As soon as Oher started the semester as a freshman at his new school, he had a very hard time adjusting and fitting in.  Fortunately for Oher, the family of Sean and Leigh Ann Tuohy, who had kids at Briarcrest, noticed Michael struggling and took him in out of the kindness of their hearts.  Oher started to live with them and was eventually adopted by Sean and Leigh Ann.  This was one of the biggest changes for Oher because his new family did not and would not let him give up in school or football and always pushed him to excel in everything because they knew that he could turn out to be something great.  In his book, I Beat The Odds, Oher states, "Sean and Leigh Ann decided to look around for a tutor to work with me in the evenings to help me get my grades up to where they needed to be for college." The most important reason why Oher's new family was beneficial to him was because he had the love of a family, something he had never experienced before.

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Oher excelled in high school football and by senior year was awarded lineman of the year for his division and received First Team Tennessee All-State.  Michael Oher received many scholarships from division-1 colleges for football by senior year.  Oher eventually chose The University of Mississippi in 2005 and performed even better receiving many of the most prestigious awards such as First Team All American and First Team All-SEC playing football.  After his college career, Oher was selected to go to the 2009 NFL Draft and was selected 23 overall by the Baltimore Ravens.

Michael Jerome Oher is a hero because he persevered through many hardships. The biggest hardship he pushed through was that he was constantly moving from foster homes and was even homeless at times.  This is inspiring because most people couldn't imagine not living in a loving home and living with people they do not know in a foster home or even worse, living homeless.  Another huge hardship that Oher pushed through that was remarkable was that he never really had loving parents that cared for him until his adoptive parents.  That's something many could never dream of, not having loving parents.  They do everything and sacrifice so much that life would be unimaginable without their love.  This is why Michael Jerome Oher is a hero; he has gone through things that are unbearable and heart breaking and he still led a successful life. 

Michael Jerome Oher is also a hero because of all the amazing achievements he has made.  One achievement that is overlooked by many that is very inspiring is the simple fact that he played a division-1 sport in college (highest level), something many aspire to do.  Not only did Oher play division-1, he excelled in it and made it professionally to the NFL to play for one of the best teams, another thing many could only dream of, playing a sport professionally for a great team.  Oher is nothing short of amazing with his athletic abilities and was one of the best at his position.  When Oher's coach in college, Houston Nutt was being interviewed about Oher, he had nothing to say but kind words and said, "I've had him for a year and there isn't a better person than Michael. He never was belligerent, always 'Yes-sir, No-sir,' worked hard in the weight room, voted captain and he played great all season long." Michael Oher is a great person all-around on and off the field.  Oher even had a movie made about him to tell his inspiring story that touched the hearts of many titled "The Blind Side."  These things are why Michael Jerome Oher is a hero.  He achieved things such as playing division-1 in college, achieving the ultimate goal of playing professionally and he even had a movie made about him.

Lastly, Michael Jerome Oher is a hero because of what he did with his life with the little he had.  He grew up dirt poor in the Tennessee ghettos with his 11 brothers and sisters rarely having a roof over their head.  One time Oher and his family had to live in a car for one month because they got kicked out of places so often.  Oher commented about the place he mainly grew up in as a child, "It was the kind of place that depressed you instantly if you took a wrong turn and ended up driving through it."  Despite some of these unimaginable things, Oher pushed through and made it as a professional football player whereas he doesn't have to worry anymore about food and shelter.  This is something that is beyond inspiring to many.  He had the ability to oversee bad events and use them to push towards greatness. That's why Michael Jerome Oher is a hero; he turned nothing into one of the best inspirational stories.

Michael Jerome Oher is very inspirational and is one of the greatest stories of hope.  Oher got through numerous hardships that most people could not even begin to imagine.  From never having strong parental guidance and not knowing when his next meal would be, to a professional football player.  He is nothing short of remarkable and heroic.  Michael Oher is someone to learn from and aspire to be.  When most people encounter obstacles in life, they just give up and say "it is too hard" or "I cannot do that."  That is exactly what people can't do. They need to see obstacles as opportunities and make seemingly nothing into something amazing like Michael Oher did.  One of Oher's most famous lines is, "People like to talk about "Cinderella stories," but Cinderella did not get her happy ending without lifting a finger.  She had to show up at the ball, be charming and smooth, and win over the prince.  Of course she had help along the way, but ultimately it was up to her to make the fairy tale ending happen."  In the midst of obstacles people need to make their own destiny by putting in hard work and greatness will come.

Works Consulted

"Michael Oher." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Gale Biography In  Context. Web. 25 May 2012.

"Oher tells his story in new book." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review [Pittsburgh, PA] 20 Mar. 2011.  Gale Biography In Context. Web. 25 May 2012.

"How family saw him through." Washington Times [Washington, DC] 4 Mar. 2011: B07. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 25 May 2012.

Donahue, Deirdre. "Ravens star Oher tells his side." USA Today 8 Feb. 2011: 01D. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 25 May 2012.