The Blindside gets Blind-Sided
A successful NFL player arises out of nothing only to end up back at the bottom
The 2013 Super Bowl was won with more than just skill and tactics. With over 100 players fighting to win the game, there must be some greater factor that makes one team stand out over the other. Most people assume the final victory in any given football game goes to the team with the overall best offense and defense of the match. However, it is in fact the heart of the players on the field who decide what team gets to exit the stadium satisfied. Michael Oher, an NFL offensive tackle, proved he had the heart to pursue his goals when he helped lead the Baltimore Ravens to a win in Super Bowl XLVII.
Growing up with an alcoholic mother who was also addicted to cocaine, Michael Oher did not have the happy childhood of which everyone dreams. His father was constantly in and out of prison, and he was one of twelve children in need of financial support. Because of his mother and father’s conditions, Michael and his family were impoverished and received no help in life. When living with eleven other siblings who take after their father, it is difficult to be raised civilized and with manners. This is apparent in Michael’s life as he was continuously in trouble in school and in the community. In just nine years, Michael went to eleven different schools and never found a place for himself to fit in. At age seven, Michael was placed in foster care and still received little to no attention. For this reason, Michael was often homeless and on the streets until he was finally adopted in high school.
Despite the trials and tribulations that occurred throughout his life, Michael Oher was able to pursue his passion and eventually achieve his ultimate goal of playing football in the National Football League (NFL). Just four years after his professional career began, Oher won a Super Bowl title in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with the Baltimore Ravens.
His touching story became the subject of a movie titled The Blindside, which showcased Michael Oher’s life growing up and how he overcame the hardships he often faced. The movie illustrated just how harsh the events in Michael’s life were, and it additionally depicted how diligently he had to work in order to achieve any sort of success.
In March 2015, Michael Oher signed a two-year contract with the Carolina Panthers. It was said that Oher was to be the Panther’s starting left tackle despite his struggles with a previous team. Oher proved to be an asset to the Panthers as he helped Cam Newton play one of his best seasons. It is often said that Oher protected Newton’s blind side, which led them to multiple wins in their seasons together.
Oher played football in the NFL for seven years before the Blindside character became blind sided by the harsh reality of his modern life.
In 2016, Oher was placed on injured reserve for a concussion he received in a game. Due to his injury, he was only allowed to play three games in the entire 2016 season. The concussion altered Oher’s behavior and it was obvious to the people around him. According to a source from Union-Tribune, the concussion has caused mood swings, a shortened temper, and irritability for Oher. Because of the impact the injury has had on Oher, he was released from the Carolina Panthers on July 20, 2017 due to a failed physical.
“The Brain is a scary thing. You have to be careful with it.” -Michael Oher
In such a short amount of time, Michael Oher has already gotten himself into transgressions in the community. This may be a reflection of his childhood as he is reverting back to troubled ways he was frequently around when he was younger. Just one day after his release from the football team, it became public that an Uber driver filed a lawsuit against Oher for assault. According to Girma Berkessa, Oher
“acted maliciously, intentionally, willfully, wantonly, recklessly, and/or negligently.”
Although the charge is considered a misdemeanor, Oher’s hearing has been pushed back to October of 2017.
The jarring truth of Oher’s actions have now caught up to him. Because of an injury, he was not able to play thirteen games in his last season playing professionally, so he has returned to the actions of his childhood. He is back into trouble in the community and is acting violently, which reflects the actions of his father. Because of his frustration of not being able to play the sport he loves, he is back where he started from in his childhood days.
Because Michael Oher has been such an inspiration to his football team and the rest of society, he is a pillar for passion. He has always protected his quarterback during a game, and now it is our turn to protect him from falling back into the stigma of his childhood.
