Michael Oher, the subject of the Oscar-winning film The Blind Side, thinks the film has hurt his NFL career.
The 2009 film is based on his life story, featuring Sandra Bullock’s character’s family taking Oher into their home and ultimately helping to launch his football career. But Oher thinks the attention from the movie takes away from his talent.
Oher, who now plays for the Carolina Panthers, said, "People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don't really see the skills and the kind of player I am. That's why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field,” ESPN reports.
Oher struggled with the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans the past two seasons. He flat out said he doesn’t “like” the film because it causes him to get picked apart more and he's "not trying to prove anything."
“This stuff, calling me a bust, people saying if I can play or not...that has nothing to do with football,” he said. “It's something else off the field. That's why I don't like that movie."
He continued, "That's taken away from my football. That's why people criticize me. That's why people look at me every single play.”
image via Roger Wong/INFphoto.com