Over the weekend I finished reading The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis.  I purchased the book last year and let it sit until the heart of the football season.  After you read it you will never watch a football game in the same way again.

The book is two intertwined stories. 

First Lewis analyzes the evolution of football strategy over the past 30 or so years.  The rise of the West Coast offense, the appearance of a new breed of defensive player such as Lawrence Taylor, and the resulting need for quarterback blind side protection.  This ultimately led to other changes in strategy with the end result being the left tackle spot becoming  highly valued with those playing the position generally being the second highest paid person on the field (behind the QBs they are protecting).

Second Lewis adds a layer of color tale of Michael Oher. Oher is a homeless Memphis ghetto kid taken in by
a rich white family with ties to Ole Miss and a Christian high school.  At 6’6" and 350 pounds Oher develops into an top ranked left tackle prodigy
with every major college coach in the country recruiting him. Oher ends up at Ole Miss, under NCAA investigation, but with a bright future ahead of him in the league.  This personal story brings fresh insight into how hard it is for an inner city kid to break away from his past as well as creates great interest for one to follow Oher’s career.

The Blind Side is a fascinating book that is a must read for any football fan.