The former Baltimore Ravens star was the subject of 2009 film The Blind Side but where is Michael Oher now, and is he still playing football in 2022?
Michael Oher is a former offensive tackle who primarily played in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens.
However, Oher is also well known as the inspiration behind one of the best sports dramas in years, The Blind Side.
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The former NFL star was the inspiration behind The Blind Side
The Blind Side was adapted from a 2006 book by Michael Lewis entitled The Blind Side: Evolution Of A Game.
The 2009 film follows the real-life story of homeless teenager Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron), who is taken in by Leigh Anne Tuohy (played by Sandra Bullock) and her family.
The film and book tell the story of how the family nurtured Michael’s football ability as he goes on to secure a scholarship to play football as a lineman at The University of Mississippi for Ole Miss. But where is Michael Oher now, and is he still playing football?
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What happened to Michael Oher? Football career explored
Michael Oher was selected by the Ravens as the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He signed a a five-year, $13.8 million contract with the team and came second in the Offense Rookie Of The Year.
In 2013, Oher and the Ravens faced the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. Baltimore won the game 34-31 and Oher won his first and only championship.
After that, Michael went on to play for the Tennessee Titans, but his tenure was hampered by a toe injury.
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The lineman then went on to play for the Carolina Panthers, where he spent the last two years of his career. He was part of the team that lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
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Where is Michael Oher now, is he still playing football?
Sadly, Michael Oher isn’t playing football any more. He made three starts for the Panthers in 2016 but was put on the injured reserved list for concussion-like symptoms.
According to SB Nation, he then failed a physical in 2017. Oher was released by the Panthers after “lingering concussion issues”. This effectively ended his career and he never returned to football.
So, where is Michael Oher in 2021? Well, for the former NFL star it’s all about giving back. Since retiring, he has created the Good Deeds app, which allows people to give back to those in their community who are struggling.
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Michael was inspired to create the app after seeing his community devastated by tornadoes in Nashville last year. According to Russell Street Report, Oher purchased a home in Nashville in 2017 that is worth $20 million.
According to People, Michael also dedicates his time volunteering at foster care organisations. He has also created his own foundation, Beat The Odds, which is dedicated to “helping kids from hard places achieve their dreams”.