Willie Anderson Claims ‘The Blind Side’ “Absolutely” Hurt His Bid For The Pro Football Hall Of Fame: “The Media Had A Bias”

Former Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Willie Anderson recently claimed the 2009 drama The Blind Side may have affected his chances of getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

During a recent appearance on Up & Adams , the NFL player, who plays right tackle, claimed the media developed “a bias” because Michael Oher , the subject of The Blind Side , played left tackle.

“I think the media had a bias because they just don’t understand the importance of the guys we blocked over there [on the right side] were some of the best rushers of all time,” Anderson said. “And the whole blind-side thing took off because of the movie, and the right side guys got pushed away.”

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Host Kay Adams then asked if he believed the film “had an effect” on his Pro Football Hall of Fame bid.

“Absolutely,” Anderson replied. “Oh, absolutely.”

He added, “These kids here now— you’ve got some kids here who are 18, 19 years old that will tell you, ‘I only want to play left tackle.’ And I say, ‘Well, go look at what Penei Sewell’s contract was for the Detroit Lions this year.’ It was over $100 million contract. So the kids and their parents because of the media push of The Blind Side left tackle is a huge deal.”

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The 2009 film chronicles Oher’s rise from homelessness to the NFL after he is taken in by the affluent 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 his claims, Anderson added, “It’s definitely changed for the better.”

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Anderson has been a finalist for the Hall of Fame for the past three years but has yet to be 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 isn’t the first time The Blind Side has recently made headlines. Oher filed a lawsuit against Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy in 2023, claiming he believed he had been adopted by the couple when he signed a conservatorship agreement in 2004. The conservatorship gave the Tuohys complete legal authority over any of his business deals. Oher’s conservatorship was terminated in 2023 almost 19 years after it was put into place.

Oher claimed he was the only family member who wasn’t receiving royalty checks from the movie that was based on his life story. He then hired a lawyer to investigate why, leading to his discovery that he had never been adopted by the family.

He has since requested that they no longer be allowed to use his name or likeness.

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