I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond

One of the book’s themes is personal responsibility and taking initiative. Despite growing up in circumstances beyond his control, Oher argues that everyone has control of one important thing: themselves. His advice in Chapter 20 underscores this by urging children in difficult situations to focus on their own attitude. In order to find success in life, one must approach situations with the right mindset—like knowing how to separate self-worth from circumstances.

A turning point in Oher’s life came in 1993, when he watched Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls win the NBA championship for the third year in a row. This planted the seed of a dream—a dream of using sports to escape his predicament. Later, he figured out how to realize this dream: “[t]here were the kids who wanted to become something, and there were the kids who were working to become something” (91). From then on, Oher became one of the latter.

Oher studied top sports figures to analyze their techniques and use them in his own playing. He also sought friends who were serious about school and mentors who could guide him. Craig Vail and Steve Henderson were friends he valued and stuck close to; he purposely surrounded himself with people like them and avoided childhood friends he knew would be a bad influence.