April 2007

ARTICLE TOOLS

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The National Collegiate Athletic Association smelled something fishy when the rich, white, evangelical Touhy family invested a lot of time and money in raising Michael Oher, a poor and socially backward black from Memphis. Oher stands 6'5" and weighs at least 330 pounds. The NCAA investigated whether Ole Miss alumnus Sean Touhy gave Oher a home in exchange for playing football at his alma mater.

Ultimately, the NCAA did not punish Ole Miss or the Touhy family. Michael Lewis, the bestselling author of Moneyball, brilliantly recounts how the Touhys and Briarcrest Christian School worked together to salvage Oher from the streets.

The Blind Side is a gripping tour through the world of college recruiting, professional football strategy, and the volatile mix of faith and sports. Noting the swearing and cheap shots during the "Jesus Bowl" between Briarcrest and Evangelical Christian School, Lewis writes, "[I]t didn't take long to see that Jesus was keeping his distance."

Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game is available from ChristianBook.com, Amazon.com, and other retailers.

An audiobook excerpt is available from Random House.

The New York Times published an article on how Mike Oher became a football player.

NPR's All Things Considered has a profile of Oher and an interview (audio) with Michael Lewis.

IdentityTheory.com also interviewed Michael Lewis.

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