Many real college football coaches played themselves in this film: Phillip Fulmer (was Tennessee head coach, then the athletic director at UT), Lou Holtz (was South Carolina head coach, then a TV sports commentator), Houston Nutt (was Arkansas head coach, subsequently worked for CBS Sports; when he comes to speak with Michael Oher, he notes Leigh Anne Tuohy's Ol' Miss cup and, smiling, giving a nod to his job as head coach there), Ed Orgeron (was Mississippi head coach, now head coach at LSU), Nick Saban (was LSU head coach, now Alabama head coach), Tommy Tuberville (was Auburn head coach, now Cincinnati head coach).