SHELBY COUNTY, TN — There is a new wrinkle to an inspiring football story that led to the making of a major motion picture concerning a former NFL offensive lineman.
Per a report from Michael A. Fletcher of ESPN, Michael Oher says that he was never adopted by Sean and Leigh Anne Touhy, according to a 14-page petition filed in Shelby County, Tennessee.
Instead, he was part of a conservatorship, the petition alleges, which would allow the couple to make business deals in his name.
Oher’s adoption by the Touhy family and their helping him during his high school days in Memphis, Tennessee area was the subject of Michael Lewis’ 2006 book “The Blind Side.” That was made into a movie with the same name in 2009, with Sandra Bullock portraying Leigh Anne Touhy and Tim McGraw playing Sean Touhy. Bullock won an Oscar for Best Actress at the 2010 Academy Awards for her role in the film.
Per ESPN, the Touhy family had yet to respond to the report.
A standout at Briarcrest Christian School, Oher would play college football at Mississippi, the alma mater of Sean and Lee Ann Touhy. A unanimous All-American with the Rebels in 2008, he was drafted by the Ravens in 2009 and played eight NFL seasons.
Oher played and started in 110 games during his professional career, helping the Ravens to a 2012 Super Bowl title and the Panthers to an NFC Championship in the 2015 season. In his first season in Baltimore, the lineman was the runner-up for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year to Vikings receiver Percy Harvin.
