Oher was born in Memphis, Tenn., one of 12 children born to Denise Oher, an alcoholic and crack cocaine addict. His father was frequently in prison. Attending 11 different schools during his first nine years as a student, at age 7 he was alternating between various foster homes and periods of homelessness. A turning point came when he was accepted to Briarcrest Christian School as a special needs case, and was taken in by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. “They
...moreOher was born in Memphis, Tenn., one of 12 children born to Denise Oher, an alcoholic and crack cocaine addict. His father was frequently in prison. Attending 11 different schools during his first nine years as a student, at age 7 he was alternating between various foster homes and periods of homelessness. A turning point came when he was accepted to Briarcrest Christian School as a special needs case, and was taken in by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. “They’ve got big hearts,” Oher said of the Tuohys. “To take somebody from my neighborhood into your house? Nobody does that,” said Oher's life with the Tuohy's was the subject of the 2009 movie The Blind Side, based on the bestselling book. Now 26, Oher is an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens NFL team.
