Michael Oher, Founder of the Oher Foundation, is a heartfelt storyteller, #1 Draft pick and NFL Super Bowl Champion who is dedicating his life to making a difference in the lives of kids who need it most. As someone who has personal experience with facing the adversities created by the seemingly inescapable cycles of poverty and homelessness, Michael is choosing to take a stand for the socio-economically disadvantaged youth who are so often overlooked and forgotten.  

The Oher Foundation intends to empower socio-economically disadvantaged youth by providing them with opportunities and supports they need to overcome poverty through education, mentorship, and community. Their team is preparing to launch the Foundation's Opportunity Scholar Program with their first class of students this August.  

There could not be a more qualified individual to take up such a noble cause. Michael was able to navigate the hardships of life as a foster kid, who went from the streets of Memphis all the way to the NFL. At the forefront of his vision, Michael saw the importance of education. Even as a kid struggling to feed himself on the streets of Memphis, Michael knew the key to his success would be made in his choices to always do what was right. So, with only a single white t-shirt to his name, he set out on a journey paved in perseverance to build a better future.  

He would become known to the world from his successes gained through his determination to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. That drive would give Michael the opportunity to study at the University of Mississippi, “Ole Miss,” where he would become a two-time All-American and winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy. Unrelenting in his efforts, he would graduate college to become the first-round NFL draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. While playing for the Ravens, he would lead his team to victory in Super Bowl LXVII (47) earning him the title of champion. Now after having spent 8-years in the NFL with other teams including the Tennessee Titans and the Carolina Panthers, Michael is more active than ever. 

His incredible story of escaping the cycle of poverty and homelessness to find success through football and beyond is chronicled in the New York Times best-selling book, I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness To The Blind Side and Beyond.  However, the most admirable aspect about Michael’s story is that his work through the Oher Foundation is helping inspire stories just like his in the lives of youth right here in Nashville, TN.