How did Michael Oher enter Memphis private school? Academic history of Blind Side star explored

Retired offensive lineman Michael Oher’s life was featured in the 2009 movie “The Blind Side,” based on Michael Lewis’ 2006 book of the same title. Unfortunately, he only learned recently that he might have been blindsided by the people he thought were his family.

Oher alleged that Sean and Leigh Ann Tuohy never adopted him. Instead, what he signed in 2004 was a conservatorship, allowing the Tuohys to make business dealings on his behalf. While the court will settle all related concerns, he did succeed in entering high school before the Tuohys came into the picture.

How Briarcrest became Michael Oher’s academic lifeline

Oher’s unstable situation at home saw him go under foster care before his 11th birthday. Aside from living in the streets, he bounced from one residence to another.

He eventually lived with Tony Henderson, a friend of Oher’s father. Henderson wanted to fulfill his deceased mother’s wish to enroll his son, Steven, at a “Christian school.”

But aside from bringing in Steven, he took a flier and brought Oher to Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee. The school’s football coach, Hugh Freeze, was interested in Oher and pushed him to be admitted to the private, coeducational institution.

However, school principal Steve Simpson initially refused because of his problematic academic journey.

The 2009 first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens was enrolled in 11 institutions in nine years, partly due to the shaky situation at home. He also had a ten-month schooling gap, possibly because they neglected to acknowledge his presence. An aptitude test he took in eighth grade placed his learning ability in the sixth percentile. At 16, he had an I.Q. of 80.

And yet, he made it to ninth grade because educators decided they’d be better off passing him. That’s why he went through that grade level at Westwood, even if he missed 50 school days. On those grounds, Simpson refrained from admitting him to Briarcrest.

Despite Simpson’s rejection, Freeze never gave up by calling Briarcrest’s president, telling him that admitting Michael Oher was right. The president agreed, telling Simpson that he could admit the kid with a 0.6-grade average.

However, Simpson had one condition: Briarcrest would only admit him if he got good grades after a semester of home study. Unfortunately, Oher struggled with the setup, and Simpson realized that taking him out of the public school system wasn’t the best choice.

Michael Oher is a football natural

Initially, the school did not allow Michael Oher to participate in sporting activities. That condition changed when he started to pull his grades up. It took a while before he got used to football, but he became good enough to become the 2003 Division 2A Lineman of the Year.

He also increased his grade average from 0.76 to 2.52 by taking some online courses at Brigham Young University. His final average allowed him to attend an NCAA Division I school. After fielding multiple offers, he went to Ole Miss, the Tuohys alma mater.

Michael Oher was a two-time First Team All-SEC member with the Rebels. In his final year at Mississippi, he became a highly-touted NFL prospect after becoming a Unanimous All-American and Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner.

Eventually, the Baltimore Ravens selected him 23rd overall in the 2009 draft. He won a Super Bowl title in five seasons with the Ravens. Oher also played for the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.

In 2016, he signed a three-year, $21 million contract extension with the Carolina Panthers. He was released the following offseason after a failed physical and playing only three games the previous year due to a concussion.