Getting to know ‘Blind Side’ tackle Michael Oher

Five things to know about offensive tackle Michael Oher, who was signed to a two-year contract by the Carolina Panthers as a free agent Friday:

1 Oher, 28, is the subject of the 2009 movie “The Blind Side,” starring Sandra Bullock as Oher’s guardian. The movie chronicles his football triumph after a tough upbringing that saw him attend nearly a dozen schools.

2 One of those schools was Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, where he was a teammate of Panthers free agent Greg Hardy. The two also went to college together at the University of Mississippi.

3 Oher struggled last season with the Tennessee Titans, allowing six quarterback sacks in 11 games before going down with a toe injury.

4 The Panthers hope for another storybook ending from Oher, just like in the movie. Oher replaces Byron Bell at left tackle, where he’ll try to protect quarterback Cam Newton’s blind side.

5 He’s not the long-term solution, or even a lock to be the starter at left tackle for the Panthers, who will still likely pick an offensive tackle at some point in the NFL draft.

This story was originally published March 6, 2015 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Getting to know ‘Blind Side’ tackle Michael Oher."