Michael Oher: Behind the Blind Side

CBN.com - Other than being an NFL foorball player, Michael Oher became practically a household name after last year's hit movie, "The Blind Side." In Michael's new book “I Beat the Odds,” he tells his own story – separating fact from fiction – and sets the record straight on what really happened in his life. 

Michael came from bleak circumstances – eight boys and five girls born to a drug-abusing mother who would get high and lock them out of the house sometimes for days.  The kids had to fend for themselves, for food and somewhere to stay.  The fact that he could forget much of what troubled him in his childhood was a gift that helped propel him forward.  He was determined to make his life a success. 

Meeting the Tuohys was a great blessing in his life.  So many people helped him.  However, an important element missing from “The Blind Side” movie is that Michael had goals for himself to break out of the cycle of poverty, addiction, and hopelessness that trapped his family for so long.  He was determined to make it out of his situation no matter what, and he had the mind-set to succeed without anyone’s help. 

Michael worked hard to make his dream into reality.  He writes, “After the movie came out, there were a lot of people asking me if my life was exactly how it was shown on screen.  Obviously, the movie-makers have to make artistic choices to tell the story in the best way but some of the details…just aren’t true.  Since so many people seem interested in these details, I hope that I can make a little sense out of it all for them.” 

Michael wants to focus on the things in his life that led up to the point where the movie “The Blind Side” picked up his story – how he tried to fight back; the emotions that overwhelmed him that left him confused, scared, and alone; all of the memories that no one was able to bring out of him…everything that happened before his happy ending.  Also, he wants to provide a voice for the other half-million children in the foster care system who are silently crying out for help and offer help to the adults that want to assist them.