Michael Oher

Michael Oher at Baltimore Ravens Training Camp August 5, 2009Keith Allison“This may come as a shock, but they tend to embellish things in Hollywood,” he said. “Real life Mike Oher is better,” Teammate Matt Birk. Michael Oher has had both a book and an Academy Award winning movie about his difficult childhood and his success in overcoming many obstacles. Michael Oher did not like the way his character was portrayed, but the book and the movie helped show that anything is possible with dedication and hard work. Michael Oher was born in 1987 in a place called Memphis, Tennessee. He was born into a broken family and his mother suffered from a drug addiction. His father was also an addict and was in prison most of Michael's life. He had 13 siblings including him. Throughout Michael Oher's life he was on his own until he met a wealthy white family who later helped him achieve his dreams. In his high school career he worked hard academically and because of his poor education he struggled to get into the University of Mississippi. At Ole Miss, Oher won many football awards including First Team SEC All-Freshman, 2005 and First Team All-American, 2008. In 2009 Michael Oher was drafted to the Baltimore Ravens and in 2013 he won a Superbowl.  Michael Oher now a free agent wrote his story in a book called “I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond,” in 2011. A hero must have fearlessness and determination both qualities Michael Oher possesses. Michael Oher overcame a hopeless homelife, parents struggling with addiction, and a lack of education; with fearlessness and determination to rise above and become one of the greatest college and professional football players ever, therefore he is a hero to me.

Michael Oher & Collins Tuohy: Behind the Blind Side. "Overcoming Obstacles in the Face of Adversity." April 7, 2011. McAlisterTulane Public RelationsMichael Oher is fearless because he was not afraid to do anything to make his dreams come true. His past left an image in his mind but he broke free of that image. Oher grew up in an area where poverty and addiction was difficult to overcome.“Though the odds were heavily stacked against me, I had a burning desire deep down to break out of the inner-city and into a world of opportunity” (Contemporary Authors). When Michael was young nobody believed he would be the best player on the field. Michael had a different mindset though he knew even though he didn't have any inspiration he could be someone special. Michael Oher wanted a new life a new start a different opportunity for himself. The only way he knew how to was through football. The Tuohy family took a chance on Michael and took him out of the terrible environment and brought him into a different world of wealth, education and love. “Anything is possible. My background is a bad background, but a lot of people said I couldn't do it. You can do anything if you put your mind to it” (Welcome). Michael came from a broken family and no one believed in him until Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy picked him up that day on the street his life changed. Oher did the impossible.Michael life was impacted when he first stepped on the field to play a high school game he was the biggest player on that field but was yet to be the meanest. His adoptive mother was pushing him to be the best he could be and one day play in college and he did. Michael forgot about his past and push himself to be a successful person and have impacts on many lives. Michael Oher is fearless because no matter what he pushes himself to the best he could be. No matter the situation Michael Oher will help anyone who is in need and that's what makes him fearless. Determination means firmness of purpose; resoluteness, and the will to do something without giving up.

Michael Oher quoteJulias BurnsMichael Oher demonstrates the trait of dedication because he was determined to break free of his old life and start a new one. Oher was dedicated to give back to other children struggling like him. Michael Oher states he never thought he wouldn't succeed it was the thought of how hard he would have to push himself to succeed. "I've never struggled with the question of whether I could succeed; I only struggled with how. I was going to find a way, one way or another. I wasn't sure of the exact path, but I knew I wasn't going  to give up until I'd achieved a better life for myself" (Lewis). Michael Oher is a hero because he is determined to break away from his old life and start a new one. Oher accomplished this by working hard to succeed in school and in football even though there were many obstacles to overcome. Oher came from a life where he received no help or guidance from his parents. When he was offered a chance to live with the Tuohy family he took the opportunity and changed his life. Michael Oher states whether you are white or black we are no different from the person apart from us. He is tired of people being poor and having no hope that it won't get better. “The cycle of poverty, addiction, and hopelessness has impacted our communities for too long” (Michael Lewis). Michael Oher states he is tired of living in poverty and people not having equal things. Michael is tired of people being hopeless about whether they deserve to live or die. People have suffered from the cycle of poverty for many generations and he wants to help improve the lives of the people in his community.

Michael Oher sighing auto graphsU.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Benjamin HughesMichael Oher is a perfect example of a person who has great determination. Even though he grew up in extreme poverty and was even homeless for a time, he persevered through these trials and stayed focused on his goal to rise out of poverty and make a difference in his community. A hopeless homelife, parents struggling with addiction, and a lack of education with fearlessness and determination to rise above and become one of the greatest college and professional football players ever, By overcoming his harsh environment he has shown he is determined to do whatever he has to do to succeed in his life. Oher was tired of living poor and watching other people live poor and have no hope. Michael Oher is an inspiration to me due to his fearlessness in reaching for his dreams, his determination to overcome all of the obstacles in his life and the perseverance it took to overcome his learning issues and graduate. Therefore he is a hero to celebrate.

Works Cited

Lewis, Michael. "The Ballad of Big Mike." The New York Times Magazine, 24 Sept. 2006, p. 38(L). Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A151815504/GPS?u=p owa9245&sid=GPS&xid=1f29cc36. Accessed 1 May 2019.

Lewis, Michael. The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. W.W. Norton, 2006.

"Michael Oher." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2012. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000204907/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=75219888. Accessed 30 Apr. 2019.

"Michael Oher." Gale Biography in Context, Gale, 2015. Biography In Context, https://link. galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1650009894/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=e7d47ebb. Accessed 29 Apr. 2019.h

Payne, Marissa. “Michael Oher Says 'The Blind Side' Hurt His NFL Career.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 17 June 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2015/06/17/michael-oher-says-the-blind-side-hurt-his-nfl-career/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ea3065889c1d.

Weissenburger, Suzanne Dodd. "I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to the Blind Side and Beyond." Journal of Sport Behavior, vol. 34, no. 4, 2011, p. 421+. Student Resources in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps /doc/ A272739198/GPS? u=powa9245 &sid=GPS&xid=602aca7f. Accessed 1 May 2019.

“Welcome to the Beat The Odds Inc. Foundation.” Beat The Odds INC., btoinc.org/.