Download high-resolution image Look inside
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00

When Your Back's Against the Wall

Fame, Football, and Lessons Learned through a Lifetime of Adversity

Look inside
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00
The NFL champion whose life inspired the hit movie The Blind Side is back with an inspiring and motivating book on overcoming any obstacle, no matter how tough the odds

Millions of people became part of Michael Oher’s story when they watched a version of him on the big screen; read his memoir, I Beat the Odds; or cheered him on from the stands. After speaking to so many of them over the years, Oher knows that more than anything, people want to believe great things can happen, even when the situation looks bleak. His story of overcoming the toughest of odds serves as their hope.
    Oher’s life has had a lot of unexpected highs: a college degree; four beautiful, healthy children and a happy marriage; drafted in the first round; a Super Bowl victory; and a second chance to play in the “big game.” He’s also run up against quite a few walls: poverty, hunger, homelessness, struggles in school, bullying, job loss, brain injury, anxiety, and depression. What he knows now is that your wall can be your opportunity. In When Your Back’s Against the Wall, he offers encouragement and shows readers how to get back up—again, and again, and again.
Michael Oher is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League for eight seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. He is perhaps best known as the subject of Michael Lewis’s bestselling book The Blind Side. He is the founder of the Oher Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to empowering kids to break the cycle of poverty and achieve their dreams through opportunities in education. View titles by Michael Oher
Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, and author of more than two dozen books, including nine New York Times bestsellers. A world-class storyteller, Yaegar draws on his personal experiences as well as those with a host of sports legends to inspire audiences from Fortune 500 companies to cancer survivor groups. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with his wife, Jeanette, and their two children. View titles by Don Yaeger

About

The NFL champion whose life inspired the hit movie The Blind Side is back with an inspiring and motivating book on overcoming any obstacle, no matter how tough the odds

Millions of people became part of Michael Oher’s story when they watched a version of him on the big screen; read his memoir, I Beat the Odds; or cheered him on from the stands. After speaking to so many of them over the years, Oher knows that more than anything, people want to believe great things can happen, even when the situation looks bleak. His story of overcoming the toughest of odds serves as their hope.
    Oher’s life has had a lot of unexpected highs: a college degree; four beautiful, healthy children and a happy marriage; drafted in the first round; a Super Bowl victory; and a second chance to play in the “big game.” He’s also run up against quite a few walls: poverty, hunger, homelessness, struggles in school, bullying, job loss, brain injury, anxiety, and depression. What he knows now is that your wall can be your opportunity. In When Your Back’s Against the Wall, he offers encouragement and shows readers how to get back up—again, and again, and again.

Author

Michael Oher is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League for eight seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. He is perhaps best known as the subject of Michael Lewis’s bestselling book The Blind Side. He is the founder of the Oher Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to empowering kids to break the cycle of poverty and achieve their dreams through opportunities in education. View titles by Michael Oher
Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, and author of more than two dozen books, including nine New York Times bestsellers. A world-class storyteller, Yaegar draws on his personal experiences as well as those with a host of sports legends to inspire audiences from Fortune 500 companies to cancer survivor groups. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with his wife, Jeanette, and their two children. View titles by Don Yaeger

Books for Native American Heritage Month

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month this November, Penguin Random House Education is highlighting books that detail the history of Native Americans, and stories that explore Native American culture and experiences. Browse our collections here: Native American Creators Native American History & Culture

Read more

2024 Middle and High School Collections

The Penguin Random House Education Middle School and High School Digital Collections feature outstanding fiction and nonfiction from the children’s, adult, DK, and Grupo Editorial divisions, as well as publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Peruse online or download these valuable resources to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: English Language Arts,

Read more

PRH Education High School Collections

All reading communities should contain protected time for the sake of reading. Independent reading practices emphasize the process of making meaning through reading, not an end product. The school culture (teachers, administration, etc.) should affirm this daily practice time as inherently important instructional time for all readers. (NCTE, 2019)   The Penguin Random House High

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more