American Footbal

Born Michael Jerome Williams, Jr., in Memphis, Tennessee, he was one of twelve children to Denise Oher. His mother was an alcoholic and crack cocaine addict, and his father, Michael Jerome Williams, was frequently in prison. Due to his upbringing, he received little attention and discipline during his childhood.[1] He repeated both first and second grades, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student.[1] He was placed in foster care at age seven, and alternated between living in various foster homes and periods of homelessness.[1][2] Oher's biological father was a former cell mate of Denise Oher's brother and was murdered in prison when Oher was a senior in high school.[1]

Oher played football during his freshman year at a public high school in Memphis and applied for admission to Briarcrest Christian School at the instigation of acquaintance Tony Henderson, with whom he was living temporarily. Henderson was enrolling his son to the school in order to fulfill the dying wish of the boy's grandmother, and thought Oher might enroll as well.[1] The school's football coach submitted Oher's school application to the headmaster, who agreed to accept him if Oher could complete a home study program first. Despite not finishing the program, he was admitted when the headmaster realized that his requirement had removed Oher from the public education system.[1]

After the 2003 football season at Briarcrest, he was named Division II (2A) Lineman of the Year in 2003 and First Team Tennessee All-State.[3] Scout.com rated Oher a five-star recruit and the #5 offensive lineman prospect in the country.[4] Before that season and for his prior twenty months at Briarcrest, Oher had been living with several foster families. In 2004, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, a couple with a daughter and son attending Briarcrest, allowed Oher to live with them and eventually adopted him. The family began tending to his needs after becoming familiar with his difficult...