The Physical Differences Are Obvious
The 2009 movie “The Blind Side” starred Quinton Aaron as Michael “Big Mike” Oher. Michael was a high school student at Briarcrest Christian School who was rescued from poverty and taken in by Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw).
Michael became a sought-after prospect in college football and wound up playing for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. The movie made $300 million at the box office, and Bullock won an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for her role.
It Wasn’t Quite As Simple For Michael To Enroll In High School
In the film, we saw that Michael had a very spotty academic career but the coach at Briarcrest used a religious angle to persuade his colleagues to enroll him at the school.
Sean Didn’t Notice Michael At A Volleyball Game
In reality, coach Burt Cotton did convince the administrators to accept Michael into the school, but Michael required several months of homeschooling before he start at the high school.
Leigh Anne Didn’t Invite Michael To Stay At Their Home So Quickly
The film showed that the Tuohys saw Michael walking on the side of the road while it was pouring rain at night in shorts and a t-shirt. Leigh Anne immediately invited him home so he could spend the night in a dry place.
Michael Stayed With Several Families
In reality, the Tuohys did meet Michael on the road, however it was morning. Instead of immediately bringing him home, she drove to Briarcrest later that day and took the young man shopping for some clothing.
Michael Was Not Timid
In the film, Michael isn’t very aggressive and is very timid. It showed Leigh Anne helping the young man to play harder by telling him his team was like his family, which he needed to protect. But in real life, Michael already had that aggression and passion.
The Family Really Did Connect With Michael Almost Immediately
Also, S.J. was not the one to teach Michael football, he already played the sport.
Collins Switched Classes To Help Michael
The real Collins said that her friends were very open to Michael. Collins actually offered more support to Michael than is presented on the big screen. She was an honor student who rearranged her schedule to assist him.
Gang Members Never Taunted Leigh Anne Touhy
She even transferred into several of his classes so they would have the same assignments. She says being seen with Michael was never a problem at school.
Michael Really Did Inspire Family Dinner Time
In “The Blind Spot,” Michael Oher convinces his new family to sit with him at the dinner table. In real life, this did happen because of his requests to eat together.
Michael Really Was Adopted
Oher really was just a guy who finally found the family he always wanted to spend time with his family whenever he had the chance.
Family’s Christmas Card
In “The Blind Side,” Michael stands with his new family as they take a photo for their annual Christmas card.
Michael Was Thrilled To Graduate From High School and Go To College
It turns out he really was part of that experience, although it only featured the family’s kids and not the parents.
Leigh Anne’s Family Was Racist
Racial issues were only mentioned occasionally in the film. Race is not a problem in the Tuohy home until Sean confesses that it’s strange for him to have a “black son” before having a Democrat as an acquaintance.
Michael’s Mother Was A Drug Addict
The book points out that Leigh Anne was raised by a racist family. She is not sure when or how her views about race change, but obviously at some point, the color lines blur.
Michael’s Birth Father Really Was Murdered
Revealed in the film, Michael’s biological father was murdered. Michael’s father really was shot and killed, and his body was thrown over an overpass in Memphis.
Michael Was A Better Football Player Than They Depicted On Film
Michael didn’t learn about his father’s death for three months because it took a while to identify his body.
Michael’s Coach Was Not So “Goofy”
In the film, Coach Cotton represented was a bumbling character who needed help from Leigh Anne to motivate Michael. In reality,the coach is very accomplished.
The Film Negatively Impacted Michael’s Career
He went from coaching high school football to leading the third-ranked college football program in the US.
Michael Was Released From The Panthers Over Health Concerns
Michael played with the Baltimore Ravens for five years then was with the Tennessee Titans before moving on to the Panthers. In July 2017, the veteran offensive tackle was released from the team with a failed physical designation.
Leigh Anne Used Her Fame To Inform Others
Michael struggled to recover from a concussion he received the previous season.
Oher Set The Record Straight With A Highly-Praised Autobiography
Michael Oher wasn’t 100% pleased with the way the movie portrayed him so he wanted to explain what really happened in his autobiography, “I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness To The Blindside.” The book became a New York Times bestseller.
The Film Did Manage To Bring Some Real-Life People Into The Mix
His book filled the gaps and made his story seem even more amazing and compelling.
Leigh Anne Really Did Have To Defend Oher Against Her Friends
In the movie, Leigh Anne Touhy’s (Sandra Bullock) friends start to ask her some very intrusive questions about Oher. The rudest of people asked her how she handled Michael’s sexual urges as a teenage boy living under the same roof as her daughter.
Sandra Bullock Became Friends With The Family And Oher
She eventually started handing out a single piece of advice to people who confronted her: “You just need to mind your own business. You worry about your own life and I’ll worry about mine.”
The Touhy’s Really Do Own Dozens Of Taco Bell Restaurants And Other Chains!
In the movie, Michael Oher quickly learns that he has access to eat at dozens of Taco Bell franchises owned by Sean Touhy. In real life, Toughy really is one of three partners who own and operate RGT Management.
The Movie Ignored The Fact That Oher Was A Basketball Star
His company operates more than 80 Taco Bell’s, Long John Silver’s, and Off The Grill locations. The movie didn’t touch on his other job as a sports commentator for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and a broadcast analyst for radio programs at Ole Miss.
S.J. Really Did “Work Over” The College Recruiters
The movie’s most hilarious scenes occur when a young S.J.
His High School Tutor Really Did Follow Him To College
Touhy asked a college recruiter, “what’s in it for me.” S.J. said it didn't happen exactly like the movie portrayed but his parents said he worked the coaches pretty hard.
Oher’s Grades Were A Bigger Controversy Than The Movie Explained
Toward the end of “The Blind Side” it’s revealed that Micheel Oher needed a 2.5 GPA to get into a NCAA Division I school. Leigh Anne announces that he has achieved a 2.52 GPA while attending his high school graduation ceremony. In reality, Oher needed a 2.65 GPA and he only received those marks after attending a BYU program.
Leigh Anne Really Did Fake Michael’s Baby Photo
The controversial program allowed him to take a bunch of 10-day courses with very simple tests which then replaced D’s and F’s from his freshman through junior years with A’s. The NCAA investigated the grade swapping practice but ultimately didn’t find any wrongdoing.
Oher Believed From A Young Age That Sports Were His “Way Out”
Growing up in the projects, Oher knew that his best opportunity to escape was through athletics. He originally focused his efforts on basketball and he quickly excelled. His athleticism and size helped him compete at a high level in both football and basketball.
Hugh Freeze Was Hired By Ole Miss And It Caused Some Controversy
Realizing his strength wasn’t enough, he started to devour sports knowledge, becoming an expert in both of his sports before he ever reached the college level. “The Blind Side” completely ignored his love of sports and instead portrayed him as a lost teen who was introduced to football as a way to bring structure to his tumultuous life.
Oher Eventually Made Peace With The Movie
Michael Oher wasn’t a fan of “The Blind Side” when it was first released because it detracted from talk about his NFL career. However, during an ESPN interview in 2016, he came to terms with the movie. “I guess it’s a good story.
It’s a great story,” he said.