The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game is a 2006 book by Michael Lewis that covers the increased importance on the role of the offensive left tackle in professional football and the life of a young man named Michael Oher who plays that position.
The book is told through two main storylines. The first covers the world of professional football and how strategy has evolved over the past three decades. A key part of this is the role of the legendary linebacker Lawrence Taylor and the shock that he brought to the league. His arrival lead to the increased importance in team building for the left tackle. With most quarterbacks in the NFL being right handed, they would need to stand with their back to the left side in order to throw. This creates “the blind side” and the role of the left tackle on the offensive line is to protect this.
The speed and power of Lawrence Taylor really exploited this and made the position of outside linebacker into a more aggressive position on NFL defenses. This is illustrated in the book, and in real life, by Lawrence Taylor’s legendary hit on Joe Theismann. This lead to team’s looking for larger, more agile left tackles to handle players like Taylor and to protect their quarterbacks.
A young man named Michael Oher is the focus of the other main storyline in the book. Oher is one of thirteen children by a mother addicted to crack who doesn’t even know his real name, who his father is, or how to read or write. Oher’s life is changed when he is adopted by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, an Evangelical Christian family, who get him started in school and football. The family’s love changes Oher’s life for the better just as he begins to grow into one of the top left tackle prospects in the game of football.
The Blind Side Adaptation
The Blind Side was made into a film in 2009 starring Sandra Bullockk as Leigh Anne Tuohy, Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy, and Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher. The movie was a tremendous success both critically and commercially. The film grossed over $300 million at the box office. Sandra Bullock won the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, but did not win.
About the Author
Michael Lewis is a bestselling author best known for Moneyball, The Blind Side, and The Big Short. All three of those books were made into feature films by major Hollywood studios with each being considered a success in their own way. Lewis writes about a wide variety of topics, but often focuses on the financial markets. He was a bond salesman before turning to writing as his career.
Lewis is married to former MTV reporter Tabitha Soren and the two have three children together. In addition to his writing, Lewis is also the host of the Against the Rules podcast.
Other Books You May Like
I Beat the Odds by Michael Oher: This book was written by Michael Oher himself as he looked back on the circumstances of his youth and his eventual success in the NFL.
Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger: Considered by many to be the greatest football book ever written, Friday Night Lights follows the Permian Panthers of Odessa — the winningest high-school football team in Texas history, and the single-minded devotion that members of that community have to that team.
The Blind Side Podcasts
Flying Coach with Steve Kerr and Pete Carroll: The two legendary coaches welcome Michael Lewis to the show to discuss his work and the influence that his books have had on their sports.
Against the Rules with Michael Lewis: Fans of The Blind Side or Moneyball absolutely need to check out Michael Lewis’ podcast. The podcast does a great job of combining real life stories with sports stories in a way that talks about how we live in today’s society. The podcast has seasons covering the role of coaches and referees in today’s society, both in and out of sports.