Former Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Willie Anderson recently took responsibility for the 2009 drama. The blind side may have hurt his chances of entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
During a recent appearance on Up and AdamsThe NFL player, who plays right tackle, claimed that the media developed “a bias” because Michael Oher, the subject of The blind sideplayed left tackle.
“I think the media was biased because they just didn’t understand the importance of the guys we blocked there. [on the right side] “They were some of the best running backs of all time,” Anderson said. “And the whole blindside thing got triggered because of the film, and the right-side players got pushed around.”
Host Kay Adams then asked him if he thought the film “had an effect” on his candidacy for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Absolutely,” Anderson replied. “Oh, absolutely.”
He added: “These kids here now, there are some kids here that are 18, 19 years old that will tell you, ‘I just want to play left tackle. ’ And I tell them, ‘Well, go look at what Penei Sewell’s contract was for the Detroit Lions this year. ’ It was a $100 million-plus contract. So, the kids and their parents, because of the pressure from the media, The blind side “Left tackle is a huge accomplishment.”
Three-time Hall of Fame finalist Willie Anderson blames the movie “The Blind Side” for why he’s not in Canton yet ??
It’s been 18 YEARS since a RIGHT TACKLE was included in the @Professional Football Hall ?@BigWillie7179 @hello,kayadams @OLMasterminds image.twitter.com/m1hpJkzUSP
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 18, 2024
The 2009 film chronicles Oher’s rise from homelessness to the NFL after being taken in by the wealthy Tuohy family. The young athlete was a top prospect during the 2009 NFL draft and went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.
Despite her claims, Anderson added: “She has definitely changed for the better.”
Anderson has been a finalist for the Hall of Fame for the past three years but has not yet been elected. In 2022, he was inducted into the Bengals’ Ring of Honor.
He later retired from the Ravens after the 2008 season, just before Oher joined the team.
This is not the first time The blind side He has recently made headlines. Oher filed a lawsuit against Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy in 2023, claiming that he believed the couple had adopted him when he signed a conservatorship agreement in 2004. The conservatorship gave the Tuohys complete legal authority over any of his businesses. Oher’s conservatorship ended in 2023, nearly 19 years after it was put in place.
Oher claimed he was the only member of the family not to receive royalty checks from the film based on his life story. He later hired a lawyer to investigate why, which led him to discover that the family had never adopted him.
She has since requested that they no longer be allowed to use her name and image.
