Michael Oher Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Michael Oher’s Net Worth and Salary?

Michael Oher, an American football offensive tackle, has achieved a net worth of $12 million. Once a homeless teenager, he was embraced by a wealthy family, leading to his rise as a star offensive tackle in both college and the NFL. Drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, he played a key role in helping the team secure victory in Super Bowl XLVII during his rookie season. Oher spent four seasons with the Ravens before moving to the Tennessee Titans in 2014, where he played for two seasons. In 2017, he signed with the Carolina Panthers before retiring from the NFL.

As many may be aware, Michael Oher’s remarkable life story was depicted in the Academy Award-winning film “The Blind Side,” which featured Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw portraying his adoptive parents, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy. The character of Michael was portrayed by Quinton Aaron.

Contracts, Salary, and Career Earnings

Throughout his NFL career, Michael Oher accumulated a total salary of $34 million.

Upon his entry into the league, he inked a 5-year, $13.495 million contract with the Ravens, which included $6.88 million in guaranteed money. During his rookie season, he earned a salary of $310,000 and received a signing bonus of $942,000.

Before the 2014 season commenced, Michael signed a 4-year, $20 million contract with the Tennessee Titans, featuring a $4 million signing bonus and $9.35 million in guaranteed funds. He was released by the Titans in February 2015, subsequently joining the Carolina Panthers on a 2-year, $7 million contract, which included a $2.5 million bonus and $2.5 million guaranteed.

His last NFL contract was a 3-year $21.6 million agreement with the Panthers, signed in 2016, which provided a $4 million signing bonus and $9.5 million guaranteed. He was let go by the Panthers in July 2017, following a failed physical.

2023 Complaint Against the Tuohy Family

On August 14, 2023, it emerged that Michael had filed a startling petition in a Tennessee court, alleging that the main narrative of “The Blind Side” was a fabrication “concocted” by the Tuohy family to profit at his expense. The petition sought to end Sean and Leigh Anne’s conservatorship, to receive a fair share of the movie’s profits, compensatory and punitive damages, and to prevent the couple from using his name in future projects.

Among various shocking claims, Michael stated that he never was legally adopted by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy but was instead placed under a conservatorship. This distinction is crucial because, under such a conservatorship, he lacked a familial bond with the Tuohys, allowing them to make deals on his behalf without sharing the royalties he was entitled to from the movie and other media featuring his name and likeness. The petition maintained that the Tuohy family received a deal that paid both parents along with their two children, Sean Jr. and Collins, $225,000 each and 2.5% of the “defined net proceeds” produced by “The Blind Side” through box office earnings, DVD sales, and streaming revenue.

Generating $300 million at the box office from a budget of $30 million, “The Blind Side” likely yielded at least $150 million in net proceeds based on typical film profit distributions. If this estimate holds true, the four Tuohys might have each gained $225,000 along with $3.75 million in royalties over time, stemming solely from box office revenues, excluding additional earnings from DVD and streaming.

Michael’s petition asserts that he did not receive any earnings from this wealth, while the Tuohy family reaped millions. Moreover, Oher alleged that the family pressured him into signing a contract in 2007.20th Century Fox obtained the life rights to his story “without any payment whatsoever.“

This statement stands in contradiction to what Leigh Anne asserted in her 2010 book “In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving.” Leigh Anne mentioned in that book that they divided the movie profits “five ways.” However, Michael’s petition states he has never received any money from the film at all.

“The Blind Side” Royalties

Following his allegations, Alcon, the studio behind “The Blind Side,” issued a statement detailing how much had been paid to Oher and the Tuohys. The statement included:

“Alcon has paid approximately $767,000 to the talent agency that represents the Tuohy family and Michael Oher.”… It seems that the agency took a 10% commission before distributing the royalties… “We expect that the Tuohy family and Michael Oher will see more profits as audiences continue to appreciate this true story in the future.”

By performing a quick calculation, after accounting for the talent agency’s 10% fee, we find that $690,000 is left to be shared among the four Tuohy family members and Michael Oher, leading to $138,000 for each person, before taxes.

Early Life

On May 28, 1986, Michael Oher was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the son of Denise Oher, an alcoholic and crack cocaine user, and Michael Jerome Williams, who often faced imprisonment. Because of his challenging upbringing, Michael lacked both attention and discipline throughout his childhood. He repeated first and second grades and attended a total of eleven different schools during his first nine years. At the age of seven, he entered foster care, oscillating between various foster homes and periods of homelessness. Tragically, his biological father, a former inmate of Denise Oher’s brother, was murdered in prison while Michael was completing his senior year in high school. It was at the age of 16 that Sean Tuohy and Leigh Anne Tuohy took Michael in, eventually becoming his legal guardians when he turned 17. To support his education, they hired a tutor who dedicated 20 hours a week to work with Michael on his schoolwork.

High School

Michael began his football journey during his freshman year at a public high school in Memphis. By his junior year, he was making significant strides in the sport. In 2003, Michael earned the title of Division II Lineman of the Year as well as a spot on the First Team Tennessee All-State. Additionally, he received two letters in both track and basketball. As he entered his senior year, he stood out as the starting left tackle on the varsity football team and was also a state runner-up in the discus throw. Initially, Oher’s poor grades posed a challenge for his acceptance into an NCAA program, but he managed to raise his GPA from 0.76 to 2.52, allowing him to attend a Division 1 school. He achieved this by enrolling in online courses at Brigham Young University, replacing his previous grades of Ds and Fs with As until his graduating GPA met the necessary standards. Consequently, Michael emerged as a leading football prospect in Tennessee, which garnered him several scholarship opportunities.receiving offers from Division 1 schools. Ultimately, he decided to join the Ole Miss Rebels at the University of Mississippi, even though he had also attracted scholarship offers from Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, and South Carolina.

College Career

During his debut season with the Ole Miss Rebels, Oher played ten games as a guard and quickly earned recognition as a first-team freshman All-American. In the 2006 season, he transitioned to left tackle, which led to his name being listed on multiple preseason All-Conference and All-American teams. Following his second year, he garnered second-team Southeastern Conference offensive lineman honors and achieved first-team SEC offensive lineman status in his junior year. Excelling academically, Oher saw his IQ score rise by 30 points from childhood to his college years, and he made the honor roll in his sophomore year. In January 2008, Oher announced his intention to leave school for the 2008 NFL draft but reversed this decision just two days later, opting instead to return for his senior year at Ole Miss. After wrapping up the 2008 season, he gained unanimous acclaim as a first-team All-American and made the honor roll for a second time during his college journey. He graduated in the spring of 2009 with a degree in Criminal Justice, concluding his college football career with numerous awards and esteemed accolades.

Pro Career

Before even graduating, Oher was projected as a top prospect for the 2009 NFL Draft. He was picked 23rd overall in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens, who had acquired the selection from the New England Patriots in a trade for their first and fifth-round picks. His adoptive family, the Tuohys, were present to celebrate his selection on draft day. On July 30, 2009, Michael signed a five-year contract worth $13.8 million with the Ravens. Starting the 2009 season at right tackle, he later shifted to left tackle due to an injury to lineman Jared Gaither, and after eight weeks, he returned to the right tackle position. Oher started every game that season, alternately playing at right and left tackle. In his first postseason appearance in January 2010 against the New England Patriots, he played right tackle, not allowing a single sack and contributing to the Ravens’ 33-13 victory. He finished second in the voting for the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, receiving six votes. In February 2013, Oher earned his first Super Bowl ring when the Ravens triumphed over the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII.

In March 2014, Oher signed a four-year, $20 million deal with the Tennessee Titans. He started eleven games for the team, but after missing two games due to a toe injury, he was placed on injured reserve on December 13. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 74th best tackle out of 78 in the 2014 season. On February 5, 2015, Oher was released by the Titans.

Just a month later, he signed a two-year contract worth $7 million with the Carolina Panthers, citing Cam Newton as a significant influence in his decision to join the team. He concluded up

During one of his finest seasons as a professional athlete, he safeguarded Newton’s blind side. Going into the season as the starting left tackle, he overcame prior struggles in Tennessee, with Panthers GM Dave Gettleman affirming: “We did our homework on Michael, and we feel very strongly that he can be an answer for us. He’ll be inserted at left tackle, and we’ll go from there.” Oher participated in 98.4% of the team’s snaps and received only three penalties amounting to 25 yards.

On February 7, 2016, Oher contributed to the Panthers team that competed in the Super Bowl, ultimately losing to the Denver Broncos with a score of 24-10.

In June 2016, Oher extended his contract with the Panthers for three years, valued at $21.6 million, including $9.5 million guaranteed. After suffering a concussion just three games into the season, he was placed on injured reserve on November 25, 2016. Unfortunately, the Panthers released him on July 20, 2017, following a failed physical.

Personal Life

Michael Oher began his relationship with Tiffany Roy after they met at the University of Mississippi. Together, they have four children: two sons and two daughters. The couple became engaged in July 2021 and celebrated their marriage on November 5, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee, after 17 years of togetherness.

Despite the acclaim of “The Blind Side” film, Oher expressed dissatisfaction with it, stating that it had a negative impact on his football journey. In his 2011 autobiography “I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to ‘The Blind Side’ and Beyond,” Michael explained that he was far more extroverted than how he was depicted in the movie and emphasized that his football knowledge predated the Tuohys entering his life.

In May 2014, Oher acquired a home in Brentwood for $1.3 million after signing with the Tennessee Titans.