Oher emerges from chaotic childhood

By: Didier Morais

Posted: 9/18/08

Michael Oher has come a long way from being homeless on the streets of Memphis. Back when he bounced from home to home, hauling along a garbage bag as a suitcase.

Growing up, the Mississippi senior offensive tackle never experienced a normal childhood. He had no friends, no family and no living accommodations. In fact, the odds were stacked against his own survival.

"Basically, I didn't have anything to eat or any places to stay," Oher said. "I was learning from the streets, so I had to find my own places to stay."

Now considered by some scouts as a potential top 10 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Oher has come a long way from his chaotic childhood.

When Oher was born, his father walked out on him, leaving the caretaking responsibilities to his mother. But during Oher's childhood, she became a cocaine addict and neglected her son.

As a result, for the first 16 years of his life Oher alternated between foster homes and for periods of time had no official address. He also encountered harsh difficulties in the classroom. He abandoned his work and repeated both first and second grade.

To make matters worse, Oher's erratic lifestyle forced him to constantly move and change schools. During Oher's first nine years as a student, he attended 11 different schools, which included an 18-month span in which he did not attend school at all.

Still, Oher continued to find motivation amidst his troubling surroundings.

"I mean I knew there was a better life, and it motivated me to know that my life could be better than what was," Oher said. "I just kept working hard and trying to reach a point in my life where I knew I could be successful."

At the age of 16, Oher moved in with a friend, Tony Henderson, sleeping on his floor every night. One day, Henderson decided to enroll Oher at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, along with Henderson's son, Steven Payne.

The school initially rejected Oher's application due to his poor academic records. But the school's football coach urged the school administration to reconsider and allow him to attend. Briarcrest agreed, but under one condition - Oher could not participate in football activities until he improved his academic record.

Several weeks after his enrollment at Briarcrest, word of Oher's background rapidly spread around the campus. After hearing his story, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, a couple with a daughter at the school, immediately took interest in Oher's case. They invited Oher to move in with them, connected him with a personal tutor and eventually adopted him.

Under the Tuohys' custody, Oher gradually improved academically. Prior to his junior year, school officials finally permitted Oher to play on the Briarcrest football team.

But tragedy struck during the season. Oher received word that his biological father was murdered. The news affected Oher to a degree, but since his father wasn't a part of his life, it didn't distract from his obligations on the field.

Keeping his focus on football, Oher developed into a premier left tackle and garnered the attention of collegiate scouts. Throughout his senior year, he became one of the highest-rated offensive line prospects in the nation. He received numerous scholarship offers, but ultimately chose to attend Sean Touhy's alma mater, Ole Miss.

Oher made an immediate impact on the collegiate level, earning first-team All-American honors as a freshman and second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors in his first two years. Last season, he started all 12 games for the Rebels, and became a consensus first-team All-SEC selection.

"He's a phenomenal athlete," said graduate assistant coach for the Rebels' offense Alan Hensell. "He can really do anything we ask from him, whether in the run game or the pass game. It's really tough for a defensive end to get an edge on him."

Following his memorable junior year, Oher declared that he was to enter the 2008 NFL Draft. But two days later, he withdrew his name from draft consideration, noticing there was room for improvement.

"I felt like I had things to work on to get a lot better," Oher said. "I also wanted spend my last year with my teammates and get one last shot at the collegiate experience because the NFL will always be there."

Oher's story made national headlines, when author Michael Lewis chronicled his life in his New York Times bestselling book, "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game." In addition to the book, Oher's tale has been adapted for film and will be released in the future.

Despite the bumpy road during childhood, Oher acknowledged that the turbulent journey provided him with a new outlook on life.

"I learned not to take anything for granted in life," Oher said. "It helped me work hard everyday and do the best that I can."

Ringer Dings up Defenses

Michigan State senior running back Javon Ringer continues to slice up opposing defenses. In three games, Ringer has carried the ball 104 times for 498 yards and nine touchdowns, earning consecutive Big Ten offensive player of the week honors.

Ringer is currently on pace to shatter Michigan State's single-season rushing record. This week, Ringer will try to lead the Spartans past a rejuvenated Notre Dame team fresh off a victory against Michigan.

Game to Watch

No. 6 LSU at No. 10 Auburn

After handily demolishing their first two opponents, the defending national champs will face their toughest task yet this weekend against Auburn. LSU boasts a 22-19-1 record in its all-time series against Auburn, but the home team has won the last eight games dating back to 2000.

dsmorais@syr.edu