Who is Michael Oher from The Blind Side?

Michael Oher is a retired NFL player whose life inspired the 2009 movie The Blind Side. He played college football at the University of Mississippi before getting drafted by the NFL in 2009. During his eight-season NFL career, he played for the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.

Michael, now 37, married longtime girlfriend Tiffany Roy in November 2022. “The most magical part was our vows,” Tiffany told People at the time. “To hear Mike express his feelings in front of 200-plus people was astonishing and romantic. I really felt like a true queen.” 

They share four children together.

In addition to his career as an offensive tackle, Michael also became an author. He released I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond in 2012 and When Your Back’s Against the Wall: Fame, Football and Lessons Learned through a Lifetime of Adversity in 2023.

“Oher’s life has had a lot of unexpected highs: a college degree; four beautiful, healthy children and a happy marriage; drafted in the first round; a Super Bowl victory; and a second chance to play in the ‘big game,'” according to the synopsis of his latest book by Christianbook. “He’s also run up against quite a few walls: poverty, hunger, homelessness, struggles in school, bullying, job loss, brain injury, anxiety, and depression. What he knows now is that your wall can be your opportunity.”

Actor Quinton Aaron played Michael in The Blind Side.