When Michael Oher was a child, his life was a mayhem of homelessness and starvation. If you take a glimpse at him now, you never would have suspected that he came from such an unfortunate beginning. However, his book I Beat The Odds reveals certain times in his life where had he not made such phenomenal decisions for his future he might have not succeeded. This story also deciphers the reason he is so spectacular today, because of his past. Flashing back to Michael’s childhood, it is observed that Michael had an abounding amount of siblings in his family. He was one of the younger brothers, yet he felt the responsibility to foster his siblings at a very young age. His family never said “I love you” and they by no means had enough food to go around. His …show more content…
mother would sometimes assent to go buy drugs and the children would have to fend for themselves, not seeing her for possibly weeks. This kind of childhood doesn’t appear to be the one that a Pro football player would stem from, but because of the way he grew up, Michael Oher has had inordinate success. He lived in a very unpleasant neighborhood, when his family wasn’t getting evicted because his mother floundered to pay the rent. The streets were swimming with gang violence and drug sales. It would be easy for a kid evolving in this environment to fall into this kind of trap, but Michael was divers. Michael went to school, when he wanted to. At first, he only wanted to stay at school for the free lunch, lunch was not something he had at home. He went along with what his older brothers were doing because it seemed right. However, when he got into high school, he discovered his passion for football. Since his grades were far from astounding, he had to do something in order to get them up so he could play. He started applying himself in school and passing classes. The Tuohy's, a very congenial and welcoming family, brought Michael into their home. Mr. Touhy worked at the school and one day saw Michael sitting at lunch with not much to eat. Since Michael stands out because of his great size, Mr. Tuohy recognized that he needed more food to eat and began buying him meals. He started to watch over Michael as if he was his own son. Soon enough, when Mr. Tuohy found out Michael had no place to stay, he was welcomed into the home of the Tuohy’s, a beautiful large home, where his “family” was there to support him. When he lived with the family, he really felt loved. He had healthy food and clean clothes. He was also surrounded by people who cared for him and encouraged him to achieve his dreams. He got a tutor and began to have a love for English and other subjects. He started to harmonize with every student in the classroom. Once his grades were up high enough, he started to play football. He definitely turned some heads. He was burly, tough, and knew the game very well. Michael started getting observed by colleges and there was chatter about recruits.
Michael attended the University of Mississippi, where he majored in criminal justices which was something he was genuinely interested in. He was drafted to the Carolina Panthers in 2009 and began his NFL career. As it is clear, Michael Oher had a very tough childhood. It is very impressive for someone like Michael, who came from such a rugged background, to get out and create the life he has today. However, Michael did not get where he is right now without hard work. He was determined and because of his awful past, he succeeded and found the motivation to make something better of his life. He was used to not caring about his grades and just barely passing in his classes. That all changed when playing the game he loved was on the line. He definitely got his act together when football was a threat for him. Michael realized he had to get his life in order to be able to go to college to play the game he loves, and there is no way he would have ever succeeded if it wasn’t for a past with such experiences. Now that he had opportunities and the tools to succeed, Michael was able to do whatever he wanted to and he had the chance to really
soar. Many people know the story of Michael Oher and feel bad for him because of all he endured, instead of looking at him like the winner and true superhero he is. Not only did he completely change his own life, but his story touched every child in the same situation and every person scared to reach for their desires. This clearly exhibits how Michael’s disturbing childhood transformed and influenced him to beat the odds and assume the form of the successful individual he is today. Now that, is what the definition of beating the odds is.
In the Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett, Homer and Mother Maria both display straightforward, hardworking, and stubborn character traits. Firstly, Homer and Mother Maria both display a straightforward personality by being brutally honest about their opinions. For example, when Mother Maria asks Homer to build a chapel, Homer speaks his mind by telling her he does not want to build it. Mother Maria shows her straightforward behavior during Homer’s stay at the convent. One morning, when Homer sleeps in late, Mother to becomes extremely upset and is not afraid to show how she feels about him. Secondly, both Homer and Mother Maria display a hardworking spirit. Homer is a hardworking man because after finally agreeing to build the chapel,
People have goals everyday, believe it or not some people think that dreams aren't worth it. I believe that it is worth it to dream because it gives a person a goal, it makes them feel good, and it makes them stronger. I know this from The Pearl, A Cubs video, the Susan Boyle video, and We Beat the streets.
In “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” written by Wes Moore the author writes about two boys growing up in Baltimore that share the same name and similar backgrounds but end up taking drastically different paths in life due to many varying factors. The author goes on to earn a college degree, become a Rhodes Scholar, a veteran and more while the “other” Wes cannot avoid the inevitable fate of dealing drugs and ultimately spends his life running from the police and in prison. This reflects how both Wes Moore’s became products of their environment as the way a person is shaped and guided in their developmental years does unquestionably play a large role in the type of person they will become as adults. A lot of elements come into play that help to determine a person’s success or failure, but at the end of the day the most important factors are family, education and opportunities.
The narrator whose name is unknown finds out that his brother Sonny was incarcerated for the use of and dealing heroin, raised in a society where being afraid of fear is constantly affecting both of their life’s in turmoil. “He was frightening me a little” (Baldwin 19). Fear shaped the older brother in becoming an Algebra teacher, endeavoring to save his younger brother from a lifestyle of street habits, influence specifically on drug abuse. According to the narrator, he expects Sonny to follow his footsteps in finishing an education because “If you don’t finish school now, you’re going to be sorry later that you didn’t” (Baldwin 20), in addition the narrator describes the life of Sonny “weird and disordered” (Baldwin 21). The narrator uses his fear to form a communication with his brother, however Sonny’s decision of freedom in becoming a professional musician, and escaping misfortunate moments is not in communion. Thus, Sonny feels neglected by his older brother’s expectations and judgments based on his own future. “I think people ...
Bo Jackson is a former baseball and football athlete who has spent his time in college wisely and finished school with a bachelor’s degree in… while playing for the raiders Bo Jackson dislocated his hip, which enabled him to play professional football. However, he continued to play professional baseball but could not perform at the level he did before his injury occurred. In addition, due to his hip injury both his professional football and baseball career was cut short. His commitment to finish his education Bo Jackson has established himself as a successful businessman and lives a financially stable
To Michael playing basketball in the NBA “seemed something of a distant dream'; (Halberstam 20), but even after he was cut from the varsity team Michael still practiced every day. Michael’s practice paid off in his junior and senior years when he was the best player on the varsity team. After high school Michael was off to the University of North Carolina where for three years he would have some amazing accomplishments in basketball.
Michael Oher is a “lost” teen from Memphis who is extremely soft spoken despite his enormous physical stature. The term “gentle giant” could not be more accurate in his case. Throughout
Anthony Doerr’s novel All the Light We Cannot See shows the reader how children would deal with war and how it shaped who they are today. Doerr’s purpose for writing this novel is to highlight how mentally taxing the war was and that there was no permanent escape from the war. Both Marie-Laure and Werner believed they could escape the war both physically and mentally, yet their involvement in it makes it more difficult. Marie-Laure’s fear of her father going to jail shows how she becomes involved in the war. Werner struggled with trying to escape the war through his fascination with radios when it just brought him further into the war. After understanding the effect on certain individuals; the story zooms out showing how the majority
In the biography, The Blind Side, by Michael Lewis, the reader learns about the life of Michael Oher, a seventeen year old homeless boy in Memphis, Tennessee. The story begins with a football play from the early eighties about a quarterback whose football career ended when the left tackle on the team failed to protect his blind side. It then transitions into the life of Michael Oher: living on the street alone. His mother has a crack addiction and his father was not in the picture (and sadly passed away during the middle of the book.) Michael didn’t have any family left in his life. A parent of one of his friends, Big Tony, one day decided to try and get the kids enrolled in Briarcrest Christian Academy, mainly for the amazing sports opportunities that could pop up for, not only his son, but also Michael, who was over six
Michael Oher is a offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers football team. Michael is a role model to me because he had it so hard when he was younger because he had no one supporting him or helping him he lived around bad people, drugs, and lot’s of violence. Michael overcame all the bad obstacles that approached him and kept on working to do well and he started to do well in school also he started playing football and eventually he was an all star football player. Another reason is that he had all these bad things in front of him but he dodged them all and achieved something very big.
By then Michael was kicking chairs and almost breaking into tears, he was extremely depressed. This meant he could never play football again, he loved it too much to give it up but he might have to. Michael couldn’t stop thinking about how he couldn’t play football. He just wanted to get back on the field and catch the ball and forget about everything, he wanted to play the game, forget about everything, and stay in that intense moment when the balls hurtling towards you and you could be the one to score for your team. He also thought that they might not be able to pay for the surgery(Concussion Legacy Foundation)
The film exhibits and analyzes the story of NFL player Michael Oher’s life through high school as he endures various adversities and difficulties in his life. It tells Oher’s story of being the son of a cocaine addictive mother and absentee father, who is homeless due the circumstances of his family. Despite not having either of his parents in his life he did have Big Tony, who was his friend’s dad. Big Tony would allow Michael to sleep on his sofa some days when he did not have anywhere else to live and he also was the main cause to Michael being admitted to the Wingate Academy Christian School. At this school Michael meets S.J., who is the son on the Tuohy’s. S.J. begins a friendship with Michael at a time when no one else would and on a rainy day after S.J.’s thanksgiving play, the Tuohys see Michael walking. They ask him ...
Noah is the one of the main characters of The Notebook. He is the hero of this novel. Noah represents true love and true loyalty. In a way, The Notebook is similar to every modern day romance movie, and Noah represents the “dream man” that all the girls always imagine of having. The characters in movies are used to symbolize ideas, and in this novel, Noah represents true, faithful, committed love. Noah remains loyal to Allie even in the situation where he is unsure whether they will ever meet again or not.
Growing up, I always found sanctuary confiding in my father’s youngest brother, Dean; I had a favorite uncle, as we all seem to have at one point in our lives. Since Uncle Dean was the youngest, I looked at him as the coolest out of the myriad of older relatives. He often bought me ice cream sundaes and showered me with aimless jokes and “piggy-back” rides. Most of the time spent visiting my father on weekends, was actually spent wrestling with Uncle Dean or playing video games until the break of daylight. I looked forward weekends, because that meant “Uncle Dean Time”. I expected to hang out with my Uncle Dean every Friday and Saturday. In fact, I knew for certain he would be waiting at my father’s home with some brand new clothes or any other prize vied for by a 10 year old. Little did I know that over the next coupe of years, I would gain knowledge of one of the most important lessons of life: value those dearest to you, for you never know how long they will be in your company.
The only issue he stumbled upon was the issue concerning his GPA, which had to be at a certain point in order for him to take any football scholarships he had been offered. With brutal perseverance and the inducement football brought, Michael reached his goal GPA and was able to accept a scholarship at the University of Mississippi. None of these opportunities would have been available to him if he hadn’t of put his education first and foremost in his life, which is how it should always be. Athletes are completely capable of undertaking their sports goals after achieving their academic