Oher Returns to Oxford on Book Tour

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

While promoting his new book, former Ole Miss Rebel and NFL player Michael Oher will stop in many different towns across the country – but none of them will be quite like coming to Oxford.

Oher will be at Off Square Books at 5 p.m. on Tuesday signing his new book, “When Your Back’s Against the Wall: Fame, Football and Lessons Learned Through a Lifetime of Adversity.”

Oher spent four years in Oxford when he was a student and football player at the University of Mississippi from 2005–2008.

He told Hotty Toddy News recently that coming back to Oxford this week makes him feel nostalgic.

“Oxford was the first time in my life that I felt everything was going to be okay,” he said. “When I stepped foot on campus, I knew that I would have a bed for the next four years. That was security I never had before. So being back brings back all the joyful memories I was able to create here because of that.”

The world got to meet Oher in 2009 with the release of the blockbuster movie, “The Blind Side,” which was based on Oher’s life.

In 2011, Oher wrote his first autobiography, “I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond.”

His new book focuses on overcoming obstacles and shows readers how to get back up and keep trying, no matter the odds.

“I wanted to share the continuation of my story, so that others facing similar circumstances or walls in life may benefit from the lessons I leaned on to get through those adversities,” he said. “I hope that by sharing those parts of my story, others can find a path forward and feel encouraged that even the darkest seasons are surmountable.”

Oher said more books could be in his future, but for now, he’s focusing on this new book and the Oher Foundation — a philanthropic organization dedicated to empowering kids to break the cycle of poverty and achieve their dreams through opportunities in education.

“The Foundation was the outcome of overcoming my darkest season and reflecting on the legacy I wanted to leave behind,” Oher said. “My story, what I experienced as a kid and then again at the height of my career, it all contributed to making me who I am today. So, reading about the second half of my life and the adversities I faced after fame can shed better light on the importance of the mission I now live for in giving back to that next generation.”