Michael Oher

Michael Oher getting drafted (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/16/sports/football/16ravens.html (Ben Shpigel))

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" Michael Oher was born on May 28, 1986, in Memphis, Tennessee. He came from a broken home where his mother was a drug addict and his estranged father was murdered while Oher was in high school. Living inside of multiple foster homes in poverty, Oher went to several different schools in a short time period surviving off of only a T- Shirt and shorts. In 2003, Oher was accepted into Briarcrest Christian School, where he played high school football and was named Division 2 Lineman of the year.  Although Oher was offered scholarships to the University of Tennessee, Louisiana State University, the University of Alabama, Auburn University, and the University of South Carolina, he decided to play college football at The University of Mississippi. In 2009, Oher was drafted with the 23rd pick in the first round of the NFL draft to The Baltimore Ravens. With all of Oher's struggles it made him exceed to being brave, motivated, and to strive for excellence.  He went from living in poverty his entire young life with no faith, no hope, and no one to help him in the beginning to going to a nice private high school and being a student athlete, getting scholarships to colleges and ultimately making it into the NFL; a 2 percent chance of everyone in the NCAA.

Michael Oher in ncaa game at Ole Miss (http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2009/2/4/742287/better-know-a-draft-prospe (Jonathan Loesche))

Michael Oher shows that he is brave inside of his life by living by himself and living with no one in his life to support him.  In the article "Michael Oher", by Bill Rickards, Rickards shows how Oher went through life and how he was brave enough to overcome his struggles."Michael Jerome Oher was born Michael Jerome Williams, Jr. on May 28, 1986, in Memphis, Tennessee. One of thirteen children, Oher's early home life was dysfunctional; his mother, Denise Oher, was addicted to drugs, and he was estranged from his father, Michael Williams. (Williams was murdered during Oher's senior year of high school.) For the most part, Oher grew up in foster homes--a period of his life that was also punctuated by homelessness. Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy where key people in his life."( Rickards ) Growing up, Michael Oher endured many obstacles throughout his childhood. Many had to do with living in a neighborhood with a lack of resources.  But Michael was brave enough to raise himself inside the area, technically homeless, not seeing any of his siblings. In the article "From Homeless to the NFL: Oher's Journey to Draft Unique." By, Jarrett giving an example of  Oher's poverty. "Among 13 siblings from the poorest part of Memphis, he never knew his father, whose murder he learned of months after the fact in high school. His mother, Denise Oher, was addicted to crack cocaine. The kids were scattered about."( Jarrett ) Oher had to overcome all obstacles with no adult in his life and having to think about his brothers and sisters everyday, wondering if they would be okay or if his parents would. This truly showed how brave Michael was and could be to gain success in life.

Michael Oher had no one inside of his life to motivate him until his coach in football and then his adopted parents the Tuohy's inside of high school. In the article Michael Oher", by Bill Rickards, Rickards tells how Michael Oher had little to no motivation in life until his football coach. "His early years in school were also challenging. Oher repeated both the first and second grade, and was seemingly unregistered or absent altogether from school around the age of ten. In fact, in his first nine years of early education, Oher attended eleven institutions. In the summer of 2002, and with the help of the school's football coach, Oher applied at Briarcrest Christian School, a college preparatory school, for his sophomore year in high school. Oher had been introduced to the school by Troy Henderson, who was temporarily allowing Oher to sleep on his couch. Henderson, in fact, had wanted his own son to enroll, and brought Oher along"( Rickards ) Oher was not motivating himself to be successful he was very smart but had no resources or anyone inside of  his life to motivate him until he met a football coach about his size which helped him get into school and first motivated him. In the article How family saw him through." By, Gale Biography In Context. Web that describes how others felt that Michael Oher was being motivated.  In addition to his dysfunctional family, many factors merged to keep Michael trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty. The governmental child service organizations, the community and the schools in the Memphis, Tenn., area (aptly known as Hurt Village and ironically located near important sites in the life of Martin Luther King Jr.), were simply not designed or motivated to make a difference" (Gale Biography ) Michael had no motivation in life and nowhere to go but made it through life successfully with an inspiration to push him through all of the struggles of being from a dysfunctional family. In Oher's life no one truly motivated him until his coach came to his life including the Tuhoy family to motivate him to do better than he ever thought he would make it inside of life truly letting him turn his life around.

Michael Oher had to strive and push himself to his maximum to become the person he is today.  His is the true story of rags to riches. In the article "How family saw him through." By, Gale Biography In Context. Web, the authors explains how he had no one in his life to inspire him or make him strive for excellence. "While no one consistently encouraged him early in life, Michael was determined that he would succeed. "It's never been about football," Mr. Oher writes, "but about becoming the best and fullest person I could be." He adds later, "I might be working at a Taco Bell.  But you know what?  That would have been all right, too, because it is a respectable job that doesn't depend on a welfare check, and doesn't involve breaking the law or hurting people." (Gale Biography In Context ) Michael Oher had no encouragement to tell him what he was capable of doing in life but maintains to strive for more and began football. And made himself successful in life by pushing through all of his obstacles. Michael Oher by biography.com, talks about successful things that happened in Michael's life. "He also accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Mississippi after receiving offers from Tennessee, LSU, Alabama and NC State, among others. As a freshman offensive lineman, Michael Oher played 11 games for the University of Mississippi, starting 10 of them at the right guard position."( biography.com) With his hard work ethic to strive for excellence Michael started to excel at football and started to get his grades up to become a student athlete which eventually gave him scholarships from colleges and he was able to attended Ole Miss. After being motivated by the Tuohy family and his football coach, Michael started to do what he was capable of doing, just like the school knew he could.

Michael's struggles in life with his mother addicted to drugs, his father dead, having no safe place to stay with no clothes, and being separated from his 13 siblings was extremely hard for him but made him the person he is: brave, strong and motivated. Michael has his own movie (The Blind Side), he's graduated from high school and got a 4 year scholarship to Ole Miss. While in college, Michael became an All- American and MVP on his team, graduating with a degree in criminal justice.  He was a first round draft pick to the Baltimore Ravens but started by living on the streets in Memphis, Tennessee - a true rags to riches story.  Michael Oher has inspired me because what he did is my goal in life.  Considering that he had many more obstacles, I feel like he has motivated me to saying I can do it.  If I stay brave, motivated, and strive for excellence in everything I do, then whatever I dream can come true.

work cited:

How family saw him through." Washington Times [Washington, DC] 4 Mar. 2011: B07. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 10 May 2012

   Jarrett. "From Homeless to the NFL: Oher's Journey to Draft Unique." USA Today. Gannett, 24 June 2009. Web. 09 May 2012.