This is about Michael Oher, an impressive mass of humanity and football talent from the Memphis ghetto and the evolution of the left tackle position into the 2nd highest and important position on the field after QB. Each could have been there own book, but Oher's is a sad one, at first, a black kid "adopted" by a rich white family and put into an exclusive private school on the right side of the tracks. The Tuohy's want it to be believed they saw a kid who needed a break but he would never have darkened their doorway if he wasn't a 6"6" hulk with the body fat of a fullback and speed to play hoops as well. Never mind that he didn't talk at all, there were no previous school records and he was reading at a 3rd grade level. But he does persist and improve and by hook or crook graduates and accepts a scholarship to Ole Miss, where his adoptive parents went. But it's hard to read about his upbringing and not cheer for the kid and care less why he got a chance, just as long as did. (and to that end the Touhy's say they will do the same for more kids, albeit ones with athletic abilities).
The emergence of the LT position (Oher's spot) in importance is equally riveting, going from a "big ugly" spot where size was the only thing that mattered to getting people who could stop the new breed of pass rusher, equal size hulks with speed, like Lawrence Taylor. Since the game has changed from a running dominated to a passing dominated, the special skills necessary to play effective Left Tackle became more well know and realized, and with that the whole front line gained status and importance. Any game you watch today, the "key" in every broadcaster is how the line plays. Great, fast read. |
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game Books In Print, Audio Books.