Millions of people became part of Michael Oher's story when they watched a version of him on the big screen, read his memoir, I Beat the Odds, or cheered him on from the stands or on TV. Concussions and their aftermath are now part of his story, too. Together, he hopes we can find a solution that will allow people like himself to have many more chapters in their lives, and to raise generations of future players who will not be haunted by this terrible legacy.
In September 2016, Michael took a bad hit playing in what would, unknowingly, be the last game of his career. He started having blurred vision, slurred speech, migraines, and memory loss and after countless physical and mental tests that gauged everything from his balance to his ability to remember, a doctor gave him the life-altering news. Michael had just become another statistic.
Diagnosed with early signs of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a diagnosis he not only accepts but also embraces, Michael has become an instrument of change. By voluntarily walking away from the game that transformed his life, he is making a statement that could potentially affect millions of other lives over the coming years. In his new book, Michael shares his story of a life that has been forever altered, and his plans to bring an intimate understanding of CTE to the public and with it, very real desire to inspire change. Michael intends for his personal experience to help reduce future incidences of CTE and help all of us understand how precious and vulnerable our brains are. He doesn't want to destroy football, but rather to save it.
