Quote:
Originally Posted by The Goat
Interesting. I'd be happy w/ Oher, though I know there were earlier character (?) concerns, but honestly never thought it was realistic for him to fall to us. Could be a great draft this way.
If we do get Oher or A. Smith in the first I hope to hell we take Sidbury in the 3rd round. Local kid and just a marvel... i think the only thing that kept his draft stock from sky rocketing is that he comes from small ball... could be all for the best if can get him in the 3rd  |
Oher's father was not involved in his upbringing (and was murdered when he was a junior in high school), and his mother was addicted to crack cocaine. As a result, he received little constructive attention during his formative years. He repeated both first grade and second grade, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student. He also alternated between time spent in various foster homes and periods with no fixed address until he was sixteen years old.[1]
That year, Oher applied for admission to a private school, Briarcrest Christian School, at the instigation of acquaintance Tony Henderson, with whom he was staying temporarily. Henderson was sending his son to the school in order to fulfill the dying wish of the boy's grandmother, and he decided that Oher might as well come along. Although the school's football coach was interested in Oher, school administrators did not feel that he was capable of handling the school's academic workload due to his scant educational background; however, he was admitted after he attempted to qualify for admission through a home-study program that removed him from the public education system.[1]
A white couple with a daughter at the school, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, allowed Oher to move in with them and began taking care of his needs after becoming familiar with his difficult personal circumstances. They also connected him with a tutor, who worked with him for twenty hours a week, eventually bringing his low-D performance up to a 2.05 grade point average. A series of internet-based courses from Brigham Young University served as replacements for poor marks earned earlier in his academic career, enabling him to become eligible to play football in college.[1]
I have not heard one thing about his character being a problem. Oher was taken in by a Christian family and has been growing as a man more and more as time goes on. I think he has the right attitude to be successful with this team.