I Beat the Odds_ From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond - Michael Oher [67]
Our season opener was a home game versus the Kansas City Chiefs on September 13, 2009, and I was playing right tackle. Kickoff was at 1 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, and it was a gorgeous day--upper seventies and not overly sunny. Even in all of my years of imagining that moment when I would take the field as a professional athlete, I never dreamed of more perfect weather. And, of course, my family was in the stands, decked out in purple and gold and cheering like maniacs. I am sure I could pick out Leigh Anne's shout out of the 67,000 people there. With a 38 to 24 win to wrap things up, I couldn't stop grinning for at least the next twenty-four hours.
The next Sunday, we beat the San Diego Chargers on the road, 31 to 26, and moved to first place in the AFC North; then we were back at home for a 34 to 4 win over the Cleveland Browns. It was an amazing start to my rookie year.
I alternated between right tackle and left tackle the whole season and, thanks to an amazing team that pulled together and learned how to read one another as the games went on, I started to get more and more notice from the press. I was named a Sports Illustrated Mid-Season All-Pro, and in December I was named the NFL's rookie of the month. The Ravens made it to the playoffs with a Wild Card game against the New England Patriots at Foxborough Stadium on January 10. I was at right tackle and our 33 to 14 victory was made even better by the fact that we didn't allow a single sack the entire game.
We'd made it to the AFC-Divisional Round, one of the top eight teams of the season. Our next opponent was the Indianapolis Colts, who ended up making it all the way to the Super Bowl. Even though that game marked the end of our season, we had a pretty good record to look back on.
The Ravens averaged 24.4 points per game, which made us the NFL's ninth-best scoring team for 2009. In a league of thirty-two teams, that's pretty good. That year, 2009, was also a year that tied or set several franchise records: 391 points (which matched the 2003 total) and forty-seven touchdowns--twenty-two of which were rushing TDs. The team also racked up the franchise's second-highest number of yards at 5,619. Our line helped to protect quarterback Joe Flacco, who set six career-high records that season.
At the end of the season, having started all sixteen games, I was named to the All-Rookie team by the Pro Football Writers of America, and I was runner-up for the AP's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. It was a pretty amazing end to an amazing season.
But just because our season was over didn't mean that I could sit back and relax until training camp started up again in July. I know how many guys out there would love to take my job, and I know that the minute I stop pushing myself to get better, one of them will step up for the chance. I got my position because someone else lost his; that's the way the game works, and I always try to keep that in mind so I never take for granted the opportunities I've been given.
A lot of people want to know what it's like to be a celebrity, and I feel bad when the most honest answer I can give them is "I don't know." But it's the truth. I don't feel like a celebrity and I don't live like one. I try to stay grounded, live simply, pay cash for everything, and just focus on doing my job. I try not to get into the "celebrity" mind-set because then it becomes easy to think you can slack off just because you're a big name. It also means you've forgotten where you came from and the hard work and discipline that got you to this level of success. The minute you start thinking