The Uncovered Truth Behind The Blind Side

If you’re a sports fan, you’ve probably heard the name Michael Oher more than a few times in your life. Whether it was because of his remarkable rags to riches story, or the critically acclaimed movie made on his behalf, the name is synonymous with unlikely success.

But most people don’t realize that Oher has a very different opinion on the depiction of himself in The Blind Side. While the feel good story did well in the box office, the portrayal itself of his character isn’t exactly the way he remembered it…

At just 16 years old Michael Oher’s life changed forever. The compelling story of a high school student rescued from a life of poverty by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy was depicted in the Oscar-winning film The Blind Side. While it tugged at America’s heartstrings, there were numerous events the film got wrong — so much that Michael himself didn’t like the movie!

The 2009 film documented the struggle of Michael “Big Mike” Oher, portrayed by Quinton Aaron. The film adaptation of the book, “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game” by Michael Lewis raked in a healthy $300 million at the box office and landed Bullock an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for her role. While Sandra Bullock went blond to better favor her character, you wouldn’t believe how terribly cast the children were!

Sean Jr. was played by pint-sized child actor Jae Head, but the film’s closing scene of authentic photos of the family had viewers floored! The real S.J. was nearly six feet tall and Big Mike was, in fact, more athletically built than the actor who played him. That was only the beginning of the film’s many misrepresentations.

In the film, Michael’s academic career was patchy and one of the coaching staff had to use a religious angle to get Oher enrolled; however, in reality, the ballplayer was accepted into the program but was required to undergo several months of homeschooling before joining the high school.

Sean Tuohy’s first time meeting Michael in the movie was at his daughter Collins’ volleyball game when he saw Mike picking up popcorn bags from the stands. Sean actually heard about Mike through Collins and immediately created a lunch account for him to ensure the larger than life young man could eat every day. To think that was before they even got to know Big Mike.

The scene where the family rolls past a rain-soaked Michael before bringing him home with them? Sorry to disappoint, but even that is falsified. The Tuohys actually met Michael on the road one morning during Thanksgiving break. Leigh Anne did take him clothes shopping later that day even though she didn’t invite Michael to move in. Big Mike’s living situation at the time was less than ideal…

Prior to moving into the Tuohy household, Oher stayed with a mechanic and five other families! Even after staying with the Tuohys, Big Mike would leave periodically until he became comfortable.

“When I moved in with Leigh Anne and Sean, I felt loved, like part of a family. In the other houses, I didn’t feel like part of the family. I didn’t feel like they wanted me there,” Michael said.

Leigh Anne couldn’t believe how quickly the book turned into a film but even she knew it could have been better. She stated the script was fairly accurate for Hollywood, but that Michael was much better in football than the film led viewers to believe.

Like many raised in the projects, Oher felt that athletics was the best way out. He focused primarily on basketball and football. This is another film conflict. Hollywood neglected Oher’s love of sports and made it seem he was introduced to football as a means of providing structure to his life.

Even if the film missed a few marks, they succeeded in grabbing something real — the coaches. Lou Holtz, Nick Saban, Houston Nutt and Tommy Tuberville are just a few of the real-life coaches that joined in on the cast.

The film’s Coach Cotton was meant to model after Hugh Freeze, Michael’s coach. While Hollywood painted the coach to be unskilled and in need of constant guidance from Leigh Anne, Freeze was actually rather accomplished.

Following Oher’s letter of intent to Ole Miss, Freeze received an offer to join the coaching staff. Freeze was quick to reassure it was not a matter of quid pro quo. This hiring of Freeze was left off of the movie to avoid moviegoers raising questions.

Big Mike’s on-screen portrayal was quiet and timid. The film gave the impression that Oher needed to be taught aggression and used the idea of protecting the family to do so. In reality, Oher said he already had the aggression part down. “I’ve always had that fire and passion in me on the field. You can’t put that aggression into a person.” And certainly, you’re aware that 8-year-old S.J. wasn’t responsible for teaching Oher football.

Although Bullock’s character was awkwardly stand-offish through to nearly the end of the film, Oher’s transfer into the Tuohy home was seamless.

During the movie Michael convinced the family to sit down at the dinner table and Sean Tuohy admits Oher made those requests regularly. He had the family he had dreamed of and dinner at the table was the way he wanted to celebrate it.

Sean Tuohy is one of three partners who own and operate RGT Management meaning there really were over 80 Taco Bells, Long John Silver’s, KFC and Off The Grill Locations for Oher to choose from.

Give her some credit! Collins offered more support to Michael than the film mentioned. The honor student rearranged her schedule to assist her new brother and even transferred into some of his classes so they could have the same assignments.

During the film, a teacher reads Michael’s essay and, in real life, he wrote it! Michael penned the essay in his final year in school. The essay read: “I look and I see white everywhere: white walls, white floors, and a lot of white people…. The teachers are not aware that I have no idea of anything they are talking about…I go to the bathroom, look in the mirror, and say, “This is not Mike Oher. I want to get out of this place.” This wasn’t the only race issue tackled either…

The Tuohy family Christmas card actually happened, but the parents weren’t in the shot. Leigh Anne revealed that because of the card, she received a call about the photo from her cousin. “He said, ‘’I’m not trying to be rude or anything. Who’s the black boy in the Christmas card?’” Talk about a memorable family first.

Although race isn’t addressed much during the film until Michael is taunted by a player and Sean admits it’s odd for him to have a black son before having a Democrat as an acquaintance, racism was a big issue as Leigh Anne was admittedly raised in a racist family. Technically this meant both of Michael’s mothers had issues.

Denise Oher, the birth mother to Michael, was addicted to crack cocaine which left Michael to take care of himself most of the time. But what about Michael’s birth father?

The movie revealed that Michael’s father was murdered. He was shot, killed, and thrown over an overpass in Oher’s hometown of Memphis. It took three months for Oher to find out about his father due to the struggle to identify the body.

Remember Collins Tuohy the Under Armour-wearing volleyball star? Collins was actually a champion pole vaulter. She and Michael were also in the same grade! How about that for tweaks in minor details? The truth behind the details of the car crash is most chilling…

Although many things were altered, like the street it occurred on, the accident scene was dead on. Michael stopped the airbag from hitting S.J., which would have caused serious injuries.

Who can forget little S.J. serving as a mini-manager everytime a recruitment coach came by? The real S.J admits that actor John Lee Hancock might have pulled off him better than himself. He couldn’t be too bad though. He did land a private tour through The Grove at Ole Miss.

Remember the scene when Michael directs Mrs. Tuohy to stay inside the car while he runs errands in his rundown neighborhood and gang members taunt her? She was actually never approached in that manner. That was all Hollywood’s fabrication.

Despite the movie portrayal, Big Mike wasn’t 100% focused on football. He was a star basketball player and even up for high school player of the year!

The athlete often outshined his fellow teammates. He was known as having a fun-loving personality, which is the exact opposite of what the film showed. No wonder he wasn’t a fan of the film! I guess Hollywood producers felt a simple-minded teen from an impoverished neighborhood would be an easier sell, but Oher was smarter than the film put on.

Oher may have been flunking out of school before he met the Tuohy family but that didn’t mean he was unintelligent. The real Big Mike expressed confusion on why the producers felt the need to portray him in such a way. The film didn’t scratch the surface of his school troubles…

Toward the end of the film we are told Oher needed a 2.5 to make it into a NCAA Division I school and Leigh Anne announces he landed a 2.52. In reality, it was not so simple. Oher needed a 2.65 and had to undergo several 10-day courses in order to replace his D’s and F’s from his first three years of high school with A’s. Even then he was under NCAA investigation.

Michael’s tutor actually moved into an apartment near the player following his matriculation into college. That’s what we call commitment to excellence!

Of the 1,000 recruitment letters, Oher chose Ole Miss so he could stay close to the Tuohy’s home. Michael said he was the first person out of anyone he knew to graduate. What a beautiful moment.

When the chance to show off baby Michael arose and there were no pictures to be found, Leigh Anne Tuohy did, in fact, find a random adorable black baby photo to use for Oher’s high school graduation ceremony.

Bullock’s character had friends who were intrusive, to say the least. In real life, Tuohy’s friends would question how she handled Michael’s sexual urges living under the same roof as her teenage daughter and her reply was golden: “You just need to mind your own business.”

Following the success of the movie, Leigh Anne was asked to speak around the country on heavy topics, including adoption and racism. It’s mind-boggling. We realize we do have a mission. We have the opportunity to change lives. If that sounds narcissistic, screw it. Racism is alive and well in this country,” she said.

Although not a fan of the film due to fabrications, misrepresentations and the distraction from his NFL career, Oher eventually accepted the movie as a “good story” with many lessons. “It shows that if you help somebody and give somebody a chance and don’t judge people — look where they can get to.”

Despite being a first-round draft pick, Oher faced criticism following the film’s release. “I’m not trying to prove anything. People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am. That’s why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field.”

After years on the field, Oher was released from the Panthers. Coach Ron Rivera stated that his concern for Michael’s health is what led to the decision as the player was struggling to recover from a concussion he received the season prior.

Due to his displeasure with his Hollywood representation, Oher went on to explain how things really played out in his autobiography “I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness to The Blindside.” The book became a New York Times bestseller and received praise from The Washington Post.

Even though he wasn’t a fan of the movie, Michael didn’t hold it against the actors who were simply doing their job. Sandra Bullock reportedly became friends with Oher and the Tuohy family. Bullock was even there cheering in the stands when the Ravens made it to the Super Bowl.