Chapter 2, The Market for Football Players Summary and Analysis

This chapter begins with a story about Tom Lemming and the first time that he sees a video of Michael Oher. Lemming starts out in 1978 as the creator of a book that ranks the best high school football players in the country. By the time Lemming learns of Oher, he is considered the ultimate authority on all up-and-coming American high school football stars. He identifies the top one hundred players in the nation, and then labels a select group of twenty-five as "All Americans." Beginning in 2000, he selects eighty players to compete in the U.S. Army High School All-American football game.

Lemming is surprised by Michael's speed on the video, especially given his enormous size. He knows that someone like Michael could do very well in the NFL, especially if...