Michael Oher’s NFL Dreams Have Come True
May 1, 2009 – 9:00 am by Michael Bean
Michael Lewis is the Michael Jordan of non-fiction writing. Liar’s Poker; Money Ball; I could go on listing books he’s written that are right up there with some of the best story telling and writing I’ve ever read in my life. Most recently, in 2006, Lewis published The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. It was a book about many things – how the NFL as a league had come to realize the value of top flight talent along the offensive line, and in particular, at Left Tackle; it was a book about race, hope, giving, courage, and even the politics of high school and college football. And above all else, it was a book about former Ole Miss OT Michael Oher. I’ll let you read the abridged version of the story in the New York Times Magazine several years ago if you’re unfamiliar with Oher’s story, but in a nutshell, Oher was pulled out of the worst parts of Memphis and into the home of one of the city’s most wealthy, connected, and influential families.
Oher, who was just born with the ideal frame to be an NFL offensive lineman, was drafted this past weekend by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL Draft. He joined WNST in Baltimore to talk about his amazing story, the movie that is being made about his journey to the National Football League, and how he is just ready to have the whole process behind him and on to playing football.
On giving back to the community:
“I’m gonna do something with the Boy’s and Girl’s Club…Just show them that there is another side of life. When I was growing, I just knew one side and that was the side that I grew up around, the violence, the drugs, and things like that. I didn’t know there was another side of life. When I found out there was, I didn’t want to go back to that other side. I like what I’m doing now. I just want to give back to the community and show the kids that if they want to do something, if you want to be something in life, I want to show those kids it’s possible and it can be done. It’s not hard. It’s just about putting in a little work, not too much, and you can get where you want to go.”
On getting a later start in football than most kids:
“I actually started playing football in the 8th grade. I started at Tight End. People think I started playing as a Junior in high school, but I started in the 8th grade. From 8th grade to my senior year in college, I started every game except for one. I grew up watching football, I started watching football when I was about 10 years old. It quickly became a game that I had a passion for…I definitely love football.”
On when he realized his talent:
“Second half of my junior year I started playing really well…I kept getting better as the spring went on, had a lot of scouts watching me and things like that. I felt that I was becoming a great player, my confidence level went through the roof and I just figured that, hey I think I can do this for a [living].”
Listen to Michael Oher on WNST in Baltimore with Ray & Thyrl
Tags: 2009 NFL Draft Grades, Baltimore Ravens Draft Grades, Michael Oher, NFL Draft Grades, WNST
