By Bruna Nessif



The Blind Side was a major hit in theaters, but it apparently wasn’t as beneficial when it came to Michael Oher’s career.

The Carolina Panthers player, whose journey to the NFL was the premise behind the film, says 2009 blockbluster took away from his talents on the field.

The subject came up when Oher was asked if a minicamp tiff between him and defensive end Kony Ealy showed he has to prove his worth after struggling the past two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans.

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“I’m not trying to prove anything,” Oher told ESPN. “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.”

Related: Bullock’s son wears Oher’s jersey to the Super Bowl

He continued, “This stuff, calling me a bust, people saying if I can play or not…that has nothing to do with football. It’s something else off the field. That’s why I don’t like that movie.”

The movie portrays the story of how Sandra Bullock’s character and her family got Oher into football and ultimately Ole Miss, where he became an All-American left tackle and a first-round draft pick by the Ravens in 2009.

“That’s taken away from my football,” Oher said. “That’s why people criticize me. That’s why people look at me every single play.”

Oher may not be a fan of the film, but America sure seemed to enjoy it. The Blind Side grossed more than $300 million, and Bullock took home an Oscar and a Golden Globe award for her performance.

Watch a featurette about the movie: