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‘Blind Side’ Mom Leigh Anne Tuohy Is ‘So Proud’ of Super Bowl–Bound Son Michael Oher

Leigh Anne Tuohy, Michael Oher and Sean Tuohy
Leigh Anne Tuohy, Michael Oher and Sean Tuohy Courtesy of Leigh Anne Tuohy

His story was told in the Oscar-winning film The Blind Side, but on Sunday, February 7, Michael Oher is adding another chapter to his tale as he plays in his second Super Bowl, and his mom, Leigh Anne Tuohy, and the rest of the family will be on the sidelines watching.

“I’m going to put my bling jersey on, and be the proudest, most obnoxious momma that I can possibly be, and enjoy every moment of it,” Tuohy, 55, said in an interview with Today.com on Thursday, February 5.

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In 2004, Oher, whose mother was an addict, was taken in as a teen by Tennessee residents Tuohy and her husband, Sean, who helped him get an education and encouraged his love of football. And as the former Baltimore Ravens player steps onto the field as an offensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers, Tuohy will be cheering the loudest for the man she described in an Instagram post as “my MVP, All-Star and rock star.”

Tuohy says she’s “so so proud” of Oher, 29, who was initially overwhelmed by the attention he received after the release of the 2009 film, which earned Sandra Bullock the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Tuohy. Quinton Aaron played Oher.

“The truth of the matter is that he does not dislike the movie — he dislikes the attention that it draws to him,” she said, admitting that he gets scrutinized on the field by referees more than some other players do.

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“Michael understands that the movie sends a good message, and that far outweighs the fact that he gets watched closely in football. I told him, ‘Look, honey, you’re going to have to get over it.'”

In the years since the film was released, Tuohy has gone on to write more books, and she tours the country as a motivational speaker. Her son S.J. is now 22 and plays basketball for Loyola University in Maryland, while her daughter, Collins, 29, has a gourmet cookie company called Whimsy, that Tuohy called “wildly successful.”

“The Panthers get cookies three times a week in their locker room,” Tuohy said. “Cam Newton gets his own box every week, and he takes great offense if anyone so much as looks at his cookies.”

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And while Collins is set to wed in just two months, her impending nuptials are not the biggest thing on her mama’s mind right now.

“I’ve told her I’m way more excited about the Super Bowl than her wedding,” Tuohy revealed. “She’s not allowed to ask me any more questions about the wedding until the Super Bowl is over.”

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