Michael Oher's Relationship with His 12 Siblings Through the Years

Little is known about Michael Oher's siblings; they prefer living out of the spotlight despite having a famous brother who is a celebrated footballer.

Michael Oher had a successful football career, having played the offensive tackle position for eight seasons in NFL's Baltimore Ravens. The celebrated athlete comes from a big family, though he didn't grow up with most of his siblings, as the Tuohy family adopted him.

In Michael Lewis' book, "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game," he highlights the footballer's life story and how his adoptive parents picked him off the streets.

The 2009 biography/drama film "The Blindside" is based on Michael's true story and his relationship with the Tuohy family. The film, in which actress Sandra Bullock plays Leigh Anne Tuohy and Tim McGraw plays Sean Tuohy, is rated 7.5/10 on IMDb.

The movie's storyline is based on Michael Lewis' book about how Michael, a homeless teenage boy, was adopted by Tuohy's family. Having grown up in the streets, Michael, one of thirteen children, didn't know his biological father, and his mother struggled with drug addiction.

The environment of Michael's upbringing resulted in him getting a less formal education, making it difficult for him to read. Michael's life took a different turn after a wealthy, white evangelical family [Tuohy's family] gave him a new life.

After Leigh notices Michael's interest in football, she takes charge and ensures the young man gets every opportunity he needs to succeed in the sport. Leigh goes to the extent of hiring a tutor to help Michael get good grades to qualify for an athletic scholarship.

In the movie, Michael's biological mother, Denise Oher, was portrayed as a mother who struggled with drug addiction while languishing in poverty and was incapable of taking care of all her children.

At the Age of 16, Michael Oher Became a Member of the Tuohy Family

Before becoming a Tuohy family member, Michael spent most of his childhood in different foster homes. But when he turned 16, Tuohy's family adopted him.

Michael admits that he doesn't know where he would have been if it were not for the Tuohys. His life took a turn when one day, Sean Tuohy spotted him at a Briarcrest Christian School basketball practice. Sean noticed the young man staring at a team that denied him to play since everyone was terrified of him.

Luckily, he captured Sean's attention, who took him but noticed his inability to go into deep thoughts as he could only focus for a few seconds. The Tuohys then provided him with all the necessary resources to improve his athletic skills.

With coaching, practice, and the support of the Tuohy family, Michael began to have direction and purpose. After Michael joined the Tuohy family, Sean Tuohy Jr and Collins Tuohy became Michael Oher's siblings.

The Hard Life of Michael Oher's Siblings

Some of Michael Oher's siblings have been through a life of struggles. In Michael's book, "I Beat The Odds," the celebrated athlete narrates how difficult life was for him and his siblings while growing up.

In one section of his book, Michael explains how his elder brother Markus who is ten years his senior, played a fatherly role in ensuring he and his siblings were safe.

Michael recalled when he was two years old, walking down the highway with his other half-brothers: Marcus, Andre, Deljuan, Rico, and Carlos, trying to seek shelter because their home was locked.

Markus was in charge of ensuring that his younger brothers had a safe place to sleep. At the time, his other brother John was still an infant, so he stayed with his mother.

Collins Tuohy Smith is also one of Michael Oher's siblings. Even though they're not related by blood, the two share a strong bond.

The athlete then gets candid about how he didn't know his birth father because he spent most of his time in prison. The only memory Michael has of his dad is when he gave him a few dollars after he had visited his mom. Michael's biological parents had two children: he and his sister Denise.

Even though Michael's mother might have failed in some aspects as a parent, the athlete admitted that she also had a positive side. In his book, he described her as a nice lady with a big heart, and she loved her family.

He said there were times when she would get clean, look for a job and provide for her family, but that would only be temporary as she would lapse back to drugs. Michael also said that even though his mother was a drug addict, she never got high in front of her children.

While growing up, Michael and his siblings frequently moved; they changed schools often and didn't have a permanent home. Even in the ghetto, Michael's mom couldn't keep up with the rent or the bills.

At one point, when Michael was four, he and his siblings moved into their grandmother's place but didn't stay there for long because she didn't like them; she only liked one of Michael Oher's siblings, Markus, and would always favor him.

Growing up in the hood, some of Michael Oher's siblings started getting involved with crime. They would break into people's cars, drive them for fun, then leave them by the roadside for cops to find and return them to their owners.

To them, they didn't see it as a crime; they just did it for fun, and soon, Michael got influenced and joined them. Since their lives had begun taking a different turn, some of Michael Oher's siblings were put in the system after their grandmother refused to take full custody.

She only took in Markus, but she couldn't keep up after six months. Other families adopted Michael's other siblings; only one child remained with their mother.

What Is Michael Oher's Relationship with His Siblings?

Even after Michael became a member of the Tuohy family, his adoptive parents didn't want him to lose contact with his biological family. From time to time, Michael would visit his mother and siblings though he was always cautious about going there because he feared the environment would drag him back to old habits.

Even though Michael's mother hasn't been a present parent, in 2013, she said that her son had previously supported her financially. In 2017, Michael's mother's life improved as she got help from priests in a nearby church where she lived. She also said that she hadn't been in contact with Michael for a while.

In 2011 during an interview, Michael stated he has a close relationship with his siblings and visits them occasionally whenever he is in Memphis.

He, however, admitted that he doesn't have a strong connection with his younger siblings because he barely knows them. Unfortunately, one of Michael Oher's siblings, Deljuan, died in a car accident.

Michael Will Always Be Super Bowl MVP for His Adoptive Mother

Michael and his adoptive family are pretty close. In 2013, Leigh attended Michael's game when his team, Ravens, played against San Francisco during the Super Bowl XLVII at Mercedes-Benz Superdome Stadium. Also, in 2020, Leigh shared a photo of her and Michael on her Instagram page and captioned it:

"He will always be my Super Bowl MVP!"

Even though neither Michael nor his adoptive parents have posted photos of each other in recent years, Michael's story as a family member is up on Leigh's website.

Collins Tuohy Smith Was Closest to Michael

Collins Tuohy Smith is also one of Michael Oher's siblings. Even though they're not related by blood, the two share a strong bond. When Michael had just joined the Tuohys, Collins helped him adjust not only to his new home and family but also to school.

Collins graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Broadcast journalism. She is a board member of The Making it Happen Foundation, which focuses on changing children's lives through love, hope, and opportunity.

Sean' SJ' Tuohy, Jr. Connected His Life with Football

Michael has had a close relationship with his other sibling, Sean Jr, since he stepped into their home. In an interview, Michael stated that he's always looked at Sean Jr as his younger brother, and the two would play games together growing up.

Sean Jr graduated from Loyola University, Maryland, with a degree in communications. He has also made a name for himself; he is a successful journalist and athlete. Currently, he works for Arkansas' college football team.