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1-Page Summary of The Blind Side
Overall Summary
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, football changed dramatically. Rushers became bigger and faster, which meant that quarterbacks had less time to react or pass the ball. Perhaps the defining moment of this era was when Lawrence Taylor “sacked” Joe Theismann in 1985. In response to this injury, coaches began recruiting big left tackles who could protect a quarterback’s blind side—the area on his left side where he couldn’t see anything while passing or running with the ball. Before then, all linemen were treated equally; now they started paying high salaries to left tackles whose job it was to protect their quarterbacks from serious injuries like Theismann’s leg break.
In the early 2000s, when left tackles were being paid millions of dollars, a man named Big Tony tried to get his son and another student admitted into Briarcrest Christian Academy. The school reluctantly agreed because Michael Oher seemed like he could be talented in football. They wanted him there because they had lots of teachers and alumni who loved football.
Michael Oher had a difficult time at Briarcrest Christian School. He was shy and didn’t have many friends because he hadn’t grown up in the same environment as his classmates. Michael also struggled academically, so he wasn’t allowed to play sports right away. However, Leigh Anne Tuohy noticed that Michael watched her son play basketball; she recognized him from a neighborhood where she grew up, and knew how hard it was for people like Michael to find acceptance in places like Briarcrest. She bought food for him and drove him around when needed; eventually, Sean Tuohy noticed this too—he’s very good with black students who come from poor backgrounds—and encouraged her efforts to help Michael feel accepted by the school community.
Michael has a talent for playing basketball, but he is an even better football player. He’s tall and strong, which makes him a great tackle on the field. Leigh Anne decides to let Michael stay at her house because she thinks he lives with his mother in the inner-city.
As Michael begins to distinguish himself as a football player, he receives scholarship offers from Division I colleges. He becomes more outgoing and confident around his peers, where before he barely spoke at all. The Tuohys decide to adopt Michael as their own child, which makes him closer with Collins and Sean Junior, the Tuohys’ two biological children. During Michael’s junior and senior years of high school, the Briarcrest football team does well because of his massive size and skillful maneuvering. In 2004, Michael’s senior year in high school, the Briarcrest football team wins the state championship of Tennessee.
Michael begins to consider his college options in his senior year. Coaches from all over tell him that he’s going to be a great NFL player, and they offer him full room and board at their colleges. He narrows his choices down to LSU, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. Michael seems most interested in Ole Miss because the Tuohys went there as well as Sue Mitchell.
Michael has a problem: he needs to raise his GPA in order to qualify for college on a sport scholarship. With Sean’s help, Michael is able to get special accommodations because of his learning disability, which allows him to take correspondence courses and raise his GPA above the NCAA minimum. He ultimately chooses Ole Miss, where he gets free room and board and is coached by Ed Orgeron.
After he chooses Ole Miss, Michael is involved in an NCAA investigation. Someone—perhaps more than one person—has complained that the Tuohys adopted him for recruiting purposes and took money from Ole Miss to do so. The Tuohys are hurt by these accusations but cooperate with Joyce Thompson, a woman sent by the NCAA to talk to them about it.
