Sean Tuohy

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.

Sean Tuohy
Personal information
Born (1959-11-23) November 23, 1959
New Orleans, Louisiana, U. S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolIsidore Newman
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
CollegeOle Miss (1978–1982)
NBA draft1982: 10th round, 218th overall pick
Selected by the New Jersey Nets
PositionPoint guard
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-SEC (1980)
  • Third-team All-SEC (1981)
  • SEC all-time leader in assists

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

Tuohy is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic.[3] Tuohy is the son of Mida (Michell) and Edward "Skeets" Tuohy, a basketball coach at the Isidore Newman School,[4][5] in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the Tuohy Gymnasium is named in his honor.[6][7] 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.[8][9][10]

College

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.[11] Drafted by the NBA's New Jersey Nets with the 218th pick (Round 10)[12] in 1982, he opted to continue his career overseas before returning to the U.S. to be with his father in his final days.[13]

Career

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 currently own 11, having sold the majority in six separate transactions.[14]

Tuohy has also been a broadcaster for the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA since 2001.[11] 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.[15]

Personal life

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.[16] They have one daughter, Collins, who was a state champion as a pole vaulter and cheerleader at the University of Mississippi.[17] 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.[18] Tuohy admitted it was a conservatorship. He stated they did not trick Oher. Instead, it was done to ease the NCAA's concerns over the Tuohys being boosters at the University of Mississippi and Oher wanting to go there. He called the claims "insulting" but also said despite the allegations made by him, they still love Oher.[19]

References
  1. "THE BLIND SIDE (2009)". historyvshollywood.com. December 11, 2013.
  2. Patrick Goldstein, "Actor tackles sizable role in 'The Blind Side'", Los Angeles Times, April 14, 2009.
  3. 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.
  4. "'The Blind Side' reminds me of a great prep basketball coach". nwlanews.com. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  5. "Mida Tuohy Obituary - Jefferson, Louisiana - Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home and Cemeteries".
  6. Mike Scott, "Sandra Bullock's 'The Blind Side' boasts deep local connections", The Times-Picayune, November 14, 2009.
  7. "Newman Honors Legendary Coach Ed “Skeets” Tuohy", Isidore Newman School, April 1, 2011.
  8. Lewis, Michael (2007). The Blind Side. New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-393-33047-2.
  9. 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.
  10. "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.
  11. "Meet the Grizzlies Broadcast Team". Official website. NBA. 2009. Archived from the original on November 1, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  12. 1982 NBA Draft. Basketball-Reference.com (June 29, 1982). Retrieved on 2012-06-01.
  13. Greater Talent Network Speakers Bureau. retrieved August 27, 2009.
  14. "Auspex Capital unwinds RGT Management with dose of philosophy".
  15. "'In a Heartbeat' highlights the bright side of the Tuohys". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  16. Lewis, Michael (September 24, 2006). "The Ballad of Big Mike". The New York Times Magazine.
  17. The Blind Side True Story – Real Leigh Anne Tuohy, Michael Oher. Chasingthefrog.com. Retrieved on June 1, 2012.
  18. "'Blind Side' subject Oher alleges Tuohys made millions off lie". ESPN.com.
  19. "Sean Tuohy Speaks Out About 'Blind Side' Subject Michael Oher's Legal Claims: 'The Allegations Are Insulting'". People.com.
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