'The Blind Side' Actor Brings Anti-Bullying Message to Saint Leo

Editor’s note: This article was written by St. Leo University staff writer Mary McCoy

It was fitting that actor Quinton Aaron brought his anti-bullying campaign to Saint Leo University on Tuesday, Jan. 27, as the university is founded on a core value of respect—one of six core values.

Aaron, famous for his portrayal of “Big Mike,” Michael Oher in the movie The Blind Side, formed the Quinton Aaron Foundation in 2012 with David Tyler, who serves as executive director of the nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating bullying. Aaron and Tyler spoke to a crowd of nearly 300 in the Greenfelder-Denlinger Boardrooms of the Student Community Center. The event was sponsored by Saint Leo University Office of Residence Life and the Quinton Aaron Foundation as part of its Bully Prevention Lecture Series.

“Bullying is a trend,” Aaron, 30, and 6 feet 8 inches, said. “It shouldn’t be a trend, but it is. I’ve experienced bullying a lot growing up. I don’t get bullied anymore. I’m bigger, stronger, and more handsome.”

As a youngster, Aaron said he was tall, skinny, had a big forehead, “and the same crooked teeth,” and wore “big binoculars for glasses.”

He was called every name in the book, and he said he did not know how to defend himself. “I was chased; I was beat up,” he said. “And in the third grade, one time, I got beat up by a girl.”

His mother was his support system. “There’s nothing these kids can say to you that holds any truth,” she advised him. “Show it doesn’t affect you.”

Aaron advised parents to get their children involved in self-defense classes so that they know defensive techniques, but he also told parents to discipline their children if they start a fight.

He said it was OK to be a “tattletale” and to step in and be strong if you see bullying. If someone is making fun of you, “it is not personal,” Aaron said. “Say to them, ‘I’d appreciate you don’t say that again.’ If they do say it again, go to the teacher.”

Students and others in attendance downloaded the CensorOut app to their cellphones at Aaron’s encouragement. The app, now only available for Instagram, allows users to block out negative comments. It also allows parents or guardians to know “what is said, who said it, and when it was said,” Aaron added.

For information about the Quinton Aaron Foundation, go to http://quintonaaron.org/ or call (813) 712-9261.

Photo by Jonathan Shoemaker, Saint Leo University

Actor Quinton Aaron (pictured) brought his anti-bullying campaign to Saint Leo University on Tuesday, Jan. 27, as the university is founded on a core value of respect—one of six core values.

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