Michael Oher was born in 1986 into a very large and poor African American family in Memphis, Tennessee and became a Ward of the State at some point in his young life.

He was homeless at the age of 16 and wandered from family to family. Serendipitously, he was first enrolled in a decent private school by a friend's father, and then he was given a home with a wealthy white family, the Tuohy's, who could afford private tuition.

With the help and support of his new family, Michael improved his school grades, played football for the school and became something of a hero, so much so that a number of colleges and universities began actively pursuing him.

Michael accepted a scholarship from the University of Mississippi, and was selected to play for Baltimore Ravens in 2009.

Michael Oher is the subject of a 2009 book by Michael Lewis and the 2009 movie, The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock. He published his own book in 2011.