Table of Contents
- Michael Oher is a former American footballer who played in the NFL for Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers
- Oher had a difficult childhood but beat all the odds to become one of the best NFL players
- Michael Oher story is the subject of the award-winning Hollywood blockbuster – The Blind Side. The film raised $300 million.
Michael Oher story is one of the most inspiring rags-to-riches stories of athletes you’ll ever come across. Big Mike beat all the challenges from a broken family and homelessness to become one of the best NFL players.
Michael Oher is a former American footballer who played in the National Football League (NFL) for Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.
Michael Oher. Photo/ Sporting News.
The legendary offensive tackle was one of the best during his days. His story is the subject of the award-winning Hollywood blockbuster – The Blind Side.
Michael Oher Story
The former footballer’s story begins in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was born on May 28, 1986. Michael was one of the 12 children of Denise Oher. He had a rough childhood growing up in a broken and poor family.
Michael’s father, Michael Jerome Williams, was in and out of prison because he often got into trouble. On the other hand, his mother was addicted to cocaine and alcohol. His father was murdered in prison while he was in his senior year at high school. Denise Oher, Michael’s mother, loved her children even though she couldn’t provide for them.
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Since the family had no proper leader, Michael and his siblings received little discipline and attention while growing up.
Michael repeated first and second grades in his early years at school. The future Baltimore Ravens star would then study in eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student.
Michael learned in different schools because he alternated between living in various foster homes and being homeless at some point. Michael was not a bright student, and that led to some schools expelling him. His story of struggles took a different turn in 2004 when Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy adopted him. His new family supported him academically and also in sports.
Big Mike was at that time good at track and field, basketball, disco and football, which he would later pursue as a career.
Career
Michael Oher had a successful college career, where he received several awards and honours. Some of his achievements in college include the 2005 First-team Freshman All-American, 2006 First-team All-SEC, 2008 Shug Jordan Award as the Southeast Offensive Lineman of the Year and 2008 SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy.
Big Mike signed a five-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 for $13.8 million. He started as a right tackle but later shifted to the left after, replacing Jared Gaither, who was injured. Due to his impressive performance, Baltimore Ravens selected Oher in the first round of the 2009 NFL season. The team gave him jersey number 74.
Michael Oher showed his quality during the match against the New England Patriots. The Ravens won the match 33-14, with Michael not allowing a single sack to his quarterback.
Michael Oher with the Baltimore Ravens. Photo/ History and Biography.
The Associated Press awarded Big Mike with the NFL offensive rookie of the year award due to his amazing performance.
Michael Oher won the first Super Bowl ring of his football career on February 3, 2013, during a 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The talented footballer then signed a four-year contract with the Tennessee Titans in 2014 worth $19.9 million. However, the Titans terminated Oher’s contract the following year due to injuries which made him miss several games.
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Michael joined the Carolina Panthers in 2015, signing a two-year deal worth $7 million. He was a key player in the team’s squad in 2015. The Carolina Panthers offered Big Mike a three-year contract extension worth $21.6 million in June 2016. The team released him in July 2017 after a failed physical.
Michael Oher’s Net Worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Michael Oher has a net worth of $12 million as of 2025. Mike’s football career completely challenged his story from rags to riches. Big Mike made a significant amount of money from the film, The Blind Side, even though he didn’t like it. The film raised $300 million.
Michael Oher story. Photo/ VoxBliss.
