Sean Tuohy
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 23, 1959 New Orleans, Louisiana, U. S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Isidore Newman (New Orleans, Louisiana) |
| College | Ole Miss (1978–1982) |
| NBA draft | 1982: 10th round, 218th overall pick |
| Selected by the New Jersey Nets | |
| Position | Point guard |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Sean Albro Tuohy (born November 23, 1959)[1] is an American sports commentator and restaurateur. He played college basketball at the University of Mississippi in the 1980s.
Tuohy, his wife Leigh Anne, and his family are a subject of Michael Lewis' 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, and its 2009 feature film adaptation, The Blind Side, where he is portrayed by Tim McGraw.[2] The book and subsequent film are based on the Tuohys' alleged “raising” of National Football League (NFL) player Michael Oher, who played in the NFL from 2009 to 2016.
Early life
[edit]Tuohy (Irish: Ó Tuathaigh[3]) is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic.[4] Tuohy is the son of Mida (Michell) and Edward "Skeets" Tuohy, a basketball coach at the Isidore Newman School,[5][6] in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the Tuohy Gymnasium is named in his honor.[7][8] Tuohy graduated from Newman. Out of high school, Tuohy was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds to play baseball, but turned down the offer to attend college. With sports as his "meal ticket" through high school and college, Tuohy left New Orleans for the University of Mississippi on a basketball scholarship.[9][10][11]
College
[edit]Tuohy attended the University of Mississippi where he was a member of the Mississippi Alpha chapter of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, played basketball, and also met his future wife Leigh Anne.
Tuohy led the Ole Miss Rebels to their first SEC men's basketball tournament championship in 1981. As a player at Ole Miss, Tuohy was named All-SEC in each of his four seasons. He was named to the All-Century SEC team and is the only basketball player in the history of the SEC to lead a statistical category for four years, as he did with assists. Tuohy holds the record for single season assists in the Southeastern Conference with 260. Tuohy is only the fourth basketball player ever chosen to the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame.[12] Drafted by the NBA's New Jersey Nets with the 218th pick (Round 10)[13] in 1982, he opted to continue his career overseas before returning to the U.S. to be with his father in his final days.[14]
Career
[edit]Tuohy and his wife owned 115 fast food franchises, including those of Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and Long John Silver's, but as of 2019, they own 11 Taco Bells, having sold the majority in six separate transactions.[15]
Tuohy has also been a broadcaster for the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA since 2001.[12] He has seven years of experience as an analyst for radio broadcasts at Ole Miss, as well as national broadcasts for Westwood One and CBS Radio.
Tuohy and his wife are also the co-authors of the book, In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving, which was released in 2010.[16]
Personal life
[edit]Tuohy married his wife, Leigh Anne, in 1982 and the couple have two children together. They have one son, Sean Jr., who played guard for the Loyola Greyhounds. They reportedly adopted former NFL player Michael Oher when he was 17.[17] They have one daughter, Collins, who was a state champion as a pole vaulter and cheerleader at the University of Mississippi.[18] Tuohy and his wife live in Memphis, Tennessee.
In August 2023, Oher filed a lawsuit alleging that Tuohy and his wife did not adopt him and tricked him to signing a conservatorship.[19] Tuohy's confirmed it was a conservatorship. He stated they did not trick Oher. Instead, it was done to ease the NCAA's concerns over Oher wishing to attend the University of Mississippi, a school where the Tuohys were boosters. He called the claims "insulting" but also said despite the allegations made by him, they still love Oher.[20] A judge ended the conservatorship and declined to dismiss the lawsuit in September 2023,[21] and the Tuohys later told the court they would remove all mentions to Oher being adopted from their website and public speaking advertisements.[22]
References
[edit]- ^ "THE BLIND SIDE (2009)". historyvshollywood.com. December 11, 2013.
- ^ Patrick Goldstein, "Actor tackles sizable role in 'The Blind Side'", Los Angeles Times, April 14, 2009.
- ^ Edward MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland (Sixth Edition), p. 291. Irish Academic Press, Dublin, 1985 and 1999 (paperback; 2001 reprint).
- ^ Leigh Anne Tuohy is the Real “Blind side” Mother Photos and Video. | RightFielders Women in Sports Archived March 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Sports.rightpundits.com (December 30, 2009). Retrieved on 2012-06-01.
- ^ "'The Blind Side' reminds me of a great prep basketball coach". nwlanews.com. Retrieved April 15, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Mida Tuohy Obituary - Jefferson, Louisiana - Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home and Cemeteries".
- ^ Mike Scott, "Sandra Bullock's 'The Blind Side' boasts deep local connections", The Times-Picayune, November 14, 2009.
- ^ "Newman Honors Legendary Coach Ed “Skeets” Tuohy", Isidore Newman School, April 1, 2011.
- ^ Lewis, Michael (2007). The Blind Side. New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-393-33047-2.
- ^ In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving. Henry Holt and Company. 2010. p. 45. ISBN 9780805093384. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
sean tuohy cincinnati reds.
- ^ "SEAN TUOHY ON HIS FAMILY AND SON MICHAEL OHER: IT DOESN'T TAKE A MOVIE TO CHANGE A LIFE". WNST Radio. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
- ^ a b "Meet the Grizzlies Broadcast Team". Official website. NBA. 2009. Archived from the original on November 1, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^ 1982 NBA Draft. Basketball-Reference.com (June 29, 1982). Retrieved on 2012-06-01.
- ^ Greater Talent Network Speakers Bureau. retrieved August 27, 2009.
- ^ Ewen, Beth (March 26, 2019). "Auspex Capital unwinds RGT Management with dose of philosophy". Franchise Times. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ "'In a Heartbeat' highlights the bright side of the Tuohys". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
- ^ Lewis, Michael (September 24, 2006). "The Ballad of Big Mike". The New York Times Magazine.
- ^ The Blind Side True Story – Real Leigh Anne Tuohy, Michael Oher. Chasingthefrog.com. Retrieved on June 1, 2012.
- ^ Fletcher, Michael A. (August 14, 2023). "'Blind Side' subject Oher alleges Tuohys made millions off lie". ESPN. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ Nobrin, Nikki (August 15, 2023). "Sean Tuohy Speaks Out About 'Blind Side' Subject Michael Oher's Legal Claims: 'The Allegations Are Insulting'". People.com.
- ^ Sainz, Adrian (September 29, 2023). "Judge says she is ending conservatorship between former NFL player Michael Oher and Memphis couple". AP News. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ Sainz, Adrian (November 29, 2023). "Memphis couple to remove references to Michael Oher being adopted as part of legal battle". AP News. Retrieved October 4, 2024.