Michael Oher (left, played by Quinton Aaron) gets coaching from Leigh Anne Tuohy (played by Sandra Bullock) {thanks, WARNER BROS.}

Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher shrugs his massive shoulders when asked about his life story — one considered so compelling it’s the subject of the movie “The Blind Side,” which opened nationwide this week.

It’s a Hollywood version of Oher’s incredible journey from destitute, uneducated Memphis teen to college graduate and millionaire starting right tackle for the Ravens. Based on Michael Lewis’ best-selling book of the same name, the Warner Bros. movie highlights Oher’s close relationship with the rich white family that helped change his life.

But Oher, 23, didn’t attend the premiere Tuesday in New York — the day after the Ravens beat the Cleveland Browns, 16-0, on “Monday Night Football.” He hasn’t set a date to catch it at a local theater when it opens here Friday.

“I am not curious. I am not in a hurry to see it,” said the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Oher, who was selected by the Ravens with the 23rd overall pick in April’s draft. “But I will watch it eventually.”

It’s not that he’s opposed to the movie or embarrassed by its premise.

“I am never ashamed of where I came from,” Oher said. “Where I came from, a lot of people don’t make it out. I think it has made me a tougher person, a better player.”
Those close to him, however, are plenty interested in this film.

His Memphis family is promoting the movie along with the filmmakers and the studio. Some of Oher’s teammates have teased him about the film, which stars Sandra Bullock as his adoptive mother.

They’re all doing their best to leave Oher out of the hoopla — if that’s what he wants. Because while he is believed to be the first rookie in North American professional sports to go through a season while having his life immortalized in a major motion picture, Oher still has a job to do in the NFL.

That’s his singular focus. Not this movie.

Oher’s reaction to all this interest in his life was much the same when Lewis’ book came out in 2006. It took several years before Oher decided to read the book, according to Sean Tuohy, his adoptive father. And his review was lukewarm.

“Some things [are] in it that are the truth, some things are not,” Oher said. “People have got to do things to sell it. But everything is good, though.”

He does have a passion for movies — Oher likes most genres and considers the original “Godfather” his all-time favorite.

As for “The Blind Side,” Oher has had seven years to get beyond that stone-silent, confused 16-year-old portrayed in the movie, Tuohy said. That kid has moved on now, he said.

It’s just another example of the single-mindedness that allowed Oher to succeed against incalculable odds, Tuohy said.

“Michael was blessed with the unbelievable ability to just not worry about what happened yesterday,” Tuohy said. “His mind is always on the next issue and you’ve got to believe that’s how he made it through adversity, because if he is out there worrying about the past, he would have never gotten up the next day.”

The real Michael Oher {thanks, THE BALTIMORE SUN}

Oher was one of 13 children born to a mother addicted to crack cocaine. His biological father was never part of his life. He was in and out of foster homes.

His life changed at 16 when he started attending Briarcrest Christian School. Oher entered Briarcrest with a 0.6 grade point average, but lifted his grades enough to participate in athletics.

While at Briarcrest, Oher met Tuohy and his family. Tuohy’s wife, Leigh Anne, took an interest in Oher’s struggles, inviting him to live with the family and ultimately becoming the mother — kind, authoritative, unrelenting — Oher craved.

By his senior year, Oher was one of the top football recruits in the nation, eventually accepting a full scholarship to Ole Miss.

Leigh Anne Tuohy’s relationship with her adopted son drives the movie, which pairs Bullock with newcomer Quinton Aaron, who plays the shy Oher. John Lee Hancock, the film’s writer and director, describes the movie as more of a “mother-son story” than a football film.

“I think Michael had a much greater impact on our lives than we did on his,” Leigh Anne Tuohy said in a statement. She attended the New York premiere Tuesday along with her husband and their two other children.

“We viewed life differently after he joined our family,” she said.

Inside the Ravens’ locker room, some of Oher’s teammates have teased the big rookie about the flick. But they are also psyched about seeing it.

“Don’t get me wrong, we’re a tough crowd now. We’re gonna get on him, but it is all tough love,” Ravens safety Ed Reed said.

Oher said it’s possible his opponents will glean some verbal nuggets from the movie to use against him during games.
“I don’t care about that kind of stuff. I play football and I do what I do,” Oher said. “It will be funny to me.”

Because of the understated way he is approaching it, Oher’s teammates aren’t concerned that the movie will be a distraction.

Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson said, “He is kind of reserved, stands back and now he’s got a movie coming out about him that portrays his whole life, so I can see where it would be difficult for him. But anybody that knows Mike, Mike is an awesome guy. He is going to be a great player. And I know the guys in the locker room think it is pretty cool.” THE BALTIMORE SUN

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