The Sunday Read: ‘The Blind Side’ Made Him Famous. But He Has a Different Story to Tell.

The real-life experiences of Michael Ohr contrast sharply with his representation in "The Blind Side," with the movie taking considerable liberties in depicting his intelligence, early life, and football abilities.

The movie's portrayal of Michael Ohr versus reality

The film adaptation of Michael Ohr’s life presents him as largely passive and lacking knowledge about football, which greatly misrepresents the actual tenacity and resourcefulness he showed throughout his difficult childhood.

Misrepresentation of his football knowledge and abilities

In "The Blind Side," Ohr is shown needing basic football elements explained to him using a rather patronizing metaphor with condiments. This scene, meant to illustrate his unfamiliarity with the game, is inaccurate; by his junior year, Ohr was already an accomplished athlete, named to the all-metro team and drawing the attention of college football recruiters before the Tuohy family became a part of his life.

Oversimplification of his background and support before the Tuohys

The movie also presents Michael Ohr as helpless and isolated prior to his adoption by the Tuohy family, while in reality, Ohr navigated a variety of challenging living situations, using his wit to make ends meet. Ohr's story in the movie leaves out the support networks he had and his practice of moving between different living arrangements.

Ohr's disapproval of the film

Film's negative impact on his NFL career

Michael Ohr’s discomfort with "The Blind Side" arises from concerns that it created a misleading narrative about him, portraying him as unintelligent. This misrepresentation led to difficulties in his professional life, including doub ...

This report examines the complex relationship between Michael Ohr and the Tuohy family, which has taken a turn from a seemingly heartwarming story to one mired in legal and financial controversy.

The Tuohys presented themselves as Ohr's adoptive parents, but they never legally adopted him and instead established a conservatorship over him.

The Tuohys took in Michael Ohr, helping him with practical matters like clothes shopping, obtaining a driver's license, buying a pickup truck, and tutoring—actions that were dramatized in the movie "The Blind Side." They consistently referred to Ohr as their "adopted son" in public and in their book "In a Heartbeat," but they never officially adopted him. Instead, they established a conservatorship over him, which gave them control over his finances and life decisions through his NFL career. Adoption is not permitted under Tennessee law for adults without a disability, which is why the conservatorship was pursued instead. However, a judge later dissolved the conservatorship, stating its unusual nature for a non-disabled individual.

The conservatorship gave the Tuohys control over Ohr's finances and major life decisions through the end of his NFL career, which Ohr's lawyers claim the Tuohys exploited.

Despite never having been legally adopted by the Tuohys, Michael Ohr's finances and major life decisions were under their control due to a conservatorship from the age of 18 and through his NFL career. The Tuohys were donors to Ole Miss, the university Ohr decided to play football for, which raised questions about undue influence over him. They have also been involved in the production and profits from "The Blind Side," which was produced by a company controlled by their relatives. Ohr filed a lawsuit alleging the Tuohys profited off him, such as making around $8 million from speaking engagements, without fairly compensating him. He also felt betrayed by their portrayal, which he believes will follow him for life.

Ohr is suing the Tuohys, claiming they unfairly profited off his story and identity through the movie and speaking engagements.

Michael Ohr’s lawsuit against the Tuohys includes allegations that they used his name, image, ...

The story of Ohr highlights his journey of hardships and resilience prior to finding stability with the Tuohy family.

Childhood Struggles with Homelessness and Instability

Ohr's life before the Tuohys was marked by significant challenges and instability.

Moving through different living situations

Ohr's early years were tumultuous as he moved between foster homes, his mother's house, a Salvation Army shelter, and at times living on the streets. During this period, Ohr's academic record suffered as he missed long stretches of school due to the constant moving.

He resorted to stealing food to survive during periods of homelessness as a young child. Although he faced numerous obstacles, Ohr showed resilience and resourcefulness. After becoming a ward of the state when child welfare authorities found his mother unable to care for him, Ohr lived with different families. He was committed to a psychiatric hospital after running away from foster homes multiple times, but after leaving the hospital, he often went missing as authorities eventually stopped pursuing him.

Finding stability and support through school and sports

Despite the instability, sports provided a much-needed anchor in Ohr's life. He lived with the family of a high school teammate, Terrio, and was known for "couch surfing" among his teammates. This indicates that he had a support network within his team even before the Tuohys’ involvement. Quintario Franklin, his classmate at Briarcrest Christian School, became close with Orr due to the scant number of other black students. Ohr had a vibrant personality and was known as a self-starter.

Anthony Burrow, the stepfather of Franklin, notes that their family took Orr in full-time for about a year after Terrio asked if Orr could stay with them. This shows that before moving in with the Tuohys, Orr experienced kind-heartedness from others who were willing to provide him with temporary stability.

Talent and Potential Amid Adversity

Even before the Tuohys took an active role in his life, Ohr's abilities as an athlete were evident.

Recognized athletic skill

Ohr was already demonstrating his potential on ...

Michael Ohr’s experience with the movie "The Blind Side" has deeply affected his self-perception and the perception others have of him, influencing both his personal life and his public image.

Ohr feels the movie’s portrayal has followed him like an "unwelcome shadow" and robbed him of his own identity and agency.

Ohr expresses strong frustration over how "The Blind Side" has misrepresented his life story. He asserts that the narrative of helplessness and a lack of intelligence attributed to him in the film is inaccurate and fails to capture his true character, which includes his grit and resourcefulness. He has been working to reclaim his identity, which he feels was stolen by the movie's portrayal.

The concerns of how this portrayal might affect his family weigh heavily on Ohr. He worries that the depictions from the film might carry into how his children are perceived and treated in school, fearing that his portrayed lack of agency will reflect poorly on them.

Ohr’s NFL career and life after football have been complicated by the fame and narrative created by the movie.

Despite winning a Super Bowl during his eight seasons in the NFL, Michael Ohr's relationship with football and his life thereafter have been significantly impacted by "The Blind Side." The movie's fame has benefited the Tuohys, granting them considerable attention and opportunities, yet it has complicated Ohr's efforts to establish an ...