Michael Oher, the subject of The Blind Side, has not played professional football since the Carolina Panthers released him in July 2017. He only appeared in three games during the 2016 season before a concussion ended the campaign. Years later, he has provided more details about the extended recovery time.
Speaking with PEOPLE, Oher revealed that he is working on a book about his recovery from the concussion, which should hit shelves in 2022. “I wanted to keep playing but it took me a couple years to get healthy,” Oher told the outlet. “It took me about two years to get healthy, to think again and to make things happen again because I had a concussion and it took me a while to recover.”
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There were concerns about Oher’s health in 2017 after he posted a photo of several pill bottles sitting on his counter. He later deleted the image, but people took screenshots while discussing the “scary amount of pills.” The photo began to make waves roughly a month prior to the Panthers releasing Oher.
According to PEOPLE, this upcoming book will detail the concussion recovery that led to the photo of the pills. It will also discuss his journey with mental health and tough times. Oher explained that he wants to inspire people to let them know that they have the ability to overcome these challenges.
“Now I’m writing a book about overcoming and dealing with adversity because I know a lot of people don’t believe that they have that ‘it’ inside of them,” says Oher. “It took me a while to get back. I had to find that deep down inside. So what I want to do is to tell different bits and pieces of how I fought back and letting people know that you do have that inside of you. The easiest part is giving up and the finish line might be right there.”
Originally a first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL Draft, Oher spent eight seasons in the league. He started every game during his five-year tenure with the Ravens and helped the team win Super Bowl XLVII. Oher spent the 2014 season with the Tennessee Titans after signing a four-year, $20 million deal. However, he only appeared in 11 games before a toe injury sent him to Injured Reserve. The Titans then released Oher in February 2015.
Oher experienced a partial career revitalization after signing a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. He started all 16 games, allowed a career-low four sacks, and helped the team reach Super Bowl 50. Oher signed a three-year extension with the team prior to the 2016 season but only appeared in three games before suffering the season-ending concussion.
