How ‘The Blind Side’s’ Michael Oher inspired readers at book signing event in Coral Gables

Michael Oher, the inspiration behind the Academy Award–winning movie “The Blind Side,” delighted South Floridians on Wednesday night during a book signing event at a Coral Gables book store.

Absent of long lines, fans and readers had an opportunity to engage the author and former NFL players in candid conversations about sports, personal growth and even food from Memphis, where he is from. Oher declined to speak to the Miami Herald.

In “When Your Back’s Against the Wall: Fame, Football, and Lessons Learned through a Lifetime of Adversity,” Oher seeks to motivate people to overcome any obstacle, no matter how tough the odds, according to Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., the bookstore where he autographed copies Wednesday night.

The 37-year-old former NFL player and author recently made headlines earlier this month when he filed a lawsuit against the family who took him in when he was 18. In the suit, Oher alleges that he was not adopted by the couple, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, portrayed by Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw in the 2009 film.

He also contends that, without his knowledge, he was placed in a conservatorship, which is a way for someone to assume legal guardianship over an adult — potentially costing him millions, he says, according to several media reports. Oher is asking a Tennessee judge to end the almost 20-year-old conservatorship.

READ MORE: Ex-NFL star Michael Oher says ‘Blind Side’ family made millions by lying about adoption

Bernard Adell, 62, a former college football player living Coral Gables, told the Miami Herald that athletes like him and Oher are often exploited for their talent at the expense of their well-being. He said he can emphasize with Oher.

“An athlete like LeBron James can get rich but team owners are wealthy,” he said referencing the NBA champion who played with the Miami Heats.

Margarita Franco, 53, of Miami Beach opined that Oher’s adopted family took advantage of his and his naivete. Franco, a daughter of a single mother, said she also came from humble beginnings, leaving her home when she got pregnant at 15.

“I came to support him,” Franco said. “I’d like to know what inspired him to surpass his difficulties.

Franco added that she wanted to get to know Oher personally, not just as he was depicted in the hit movie.

“They showed him as weak, like he wouldn’t have been successful without the Tuohy family,” she noted. “And I believe that’s not true.”

Kimberley Rodriguez, 46, a first-generation American living in Boca Raton, drove several hours to speak with Oher. As a psychotherapist, she said she encounters many clients who, like Oher, were in the foster care system.

“It makes my heart sad,” Rodriguez said about what the Tuohys allegedly did to Oher. “I came here to let him know there are people in his corner,” she said.