Oher is Here to Stay, For Now
After missing the past five weeks with a concussion, left tackle Michael Oher finally returned to the field two days ago at Wednesday's practice, marking his first public appearance since he was placed on concussion protocol September 30th. Walking around with his trainer while his teammates got loose, Oher put many lingering doubts about his future to rest, signaling to the rest of the world that he isn't ready to give up just yet.
Speculation of Oher's retirement has arisen since the sustainment of the injury, due in part to his prolonged absence from team events and also his recent Instagram posts that hinted at the lineman possibly calling it quits. Take these for example:
However, when asked about Oher, head coach Ron Rivera, who claimed to have a talk with the lineman Wednesday, remarked that he appeared to be "in a good place." Oher's visible smile upon taking the field once more certainly corroborated this claim and served as a reminder of his immense love of the game.
We have to remember that if we learned anything from The Blind Side, it's that it takes a lot to bring down this man. He came up from nothing to become a first-round draft pick, and is recognized and respected by his peers as one of the hardest working players in the league.
A little concussion isn't going to stop Michael Oher. And while he may not have progressed as well as teams had hoped since entering the league, he remains a valuable asset and can certainly still contribute to this Panthers squad. In his own words, he is "going to battle til the death," and there aren't any doubts about that.
