Former Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher is well known as the inspiration behind 2009 film The Blind Side. On 8 November 2022 it was revealed he got married to Tiffany Roy. But is Michael Oher still close to the Tuohy family in 2023?
Michael spent most of his childhood in foster homes but moved in with the Tuohys when he was 16. With the love and support of adoptive parents Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy and their family, Michael achieved his dream and made it to the NFL.
The story, which was a book before becoming a hit movie starring Sandra Bullock, is well documented. But is Michael Oher still close to the Tuohy family in 2023?
Michael’s work with the Tuohy’s foundation
In February 2013, the whole Tuohy family were on the sidelines cheering Michael and the Baltimore Ravens as he won his first Super Bowl. Michael’s NFL career ended in 2007 but he has continued to work with the Tuohy family through the Making it Happen Foundation, which “promotes awareness, provides hope and improves standards of living for impoverished children’.
Michael helps with the foundation as well as his own, Beat The Odds, which is dedicated to “helping kids from hard places achieve their dreams”.
In 2021, Leigh Anne shared some throwback photos on Instagram of her and Michael.
On Mother’s Day, she shared a heartfelt message about what it means to be a mom:
Michael’s relationship with sister Collins Tuohy Smith
Collins Tuohy Smith shares a famously close bond with her adopted brother Michael Oher, as she helped him adjust to his new family and school during his younger years. Michael was even her escort when she was her high-school’s homecoming queen!
After Michael joined the Baltimore Ravens, Collins continued to support him with frequent visits to Baltimore. Collins is co-owner and director of marketing at the Whimsy Cookie Company and is a public speaker and businesswoman.
In 2016 she married long-term boyfriend Canon Smith – and Michael was there on her big day:
Michael’s relationship with brother SJ grew over time
The relationship between Michael Oher and Sean Tuohy Jr blossomed when SJ went to Loyola University Maryland for his bachelor’s degree in communications.
As an undergrad, he lettered as a member of the basketball team and saw brother Michael Oher “two or three times a week” as they lived near each other. “We’ve always been close, I always looked at him as a little brother, we always played games together. He’s always been a sharp kid and he’s turned into a great guy,” Michael said of his brother.
Tuohy also said his big brother had a “huge influence” on him growing up. “The three things I took from Mike was that if you aren’t having fun doing what you’re doing, don’t do it,” Tuohy said. “He loved playing basketball. I looked at him playing basketball when I was an eight-year old and thought basketball must be the greatest thing ever.
“Another thing Michael said – and my dad also said – was if he wasn’t working, somebody else was. He was always out there. Seeing him train so much set the standard for me. Mike was always going hard, so that’s what I did. When he was on the field, he was all business. When he was off the field, he was a fun-loving guy.”
SJ currently works at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.