Michael Oher says ‘The Blind Side’ damaged his career
Most of us would think it was pretty sweet to get an Oscar-winning movie made of our lives, but for Michael Oher, the rewards haven’t been quite what he expected.
Oher, the offensive lineman immortalized in the book and movie “The Blind Side,” is trying to stick with the Carolina Panthers. And to hear him tell it, the movie has caused him more problems than it solved. Oher has had difficulty in the last two seasons playing for the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans, and bristled at the idea that he still has to prove anything to coaches.
“People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie,” he said, according to ESPN. “They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am. That’s why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field. This stuff, calling me a bust, people saying if I can play or not … that has nothing to do with football. It’s something else off the field. That’s why I don’t like that movie.”
The movie, focusing on Oher and the Memphis, Tenn., family that helped him get his life on track, grossed more than $300 million and netted Sandra Bullock on Oscar. While it’s not an unflattering portrait of Oher, he’s nonetheless tried on many occasions to distance himself from it.
Oher signed a two-year, $7 million deal with the Panthers. His task will be to protect Cam Newton’s bli- … let’s just say he’s supposed to protect his quarterback.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter.
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