The left tackle position functions both literally and symbolically in The Blind Side. Lewis devotes considerable time to discussing how the position evolved in the NFL, from being seen as part of the collective group of offensive lineman whose roles are virtually indistinguishable from each other to becoming, on average, the second-highest paid position on an NFL team.

Symbolically, the left tackle also represents someone whose value is overlooked or ignored. The concept applies especially in Chapters Eleven and Twelve, when Lewis discusses the many, talented athletes who are never discovered or developed because they do not have access to a support system. Lewis applies this both to athletes and to other uniquely-skilled individuals when he writes, “Pity the kid inside Hurt Village who was born to play the piano, or manage people, or trade bonds” (264). Not only athletes but also artists and individuals with talent for dealing with people or numbers, among others, are hidden in plain sight, grouped as a collective rather than recognized for their unique skills and potential contributions.

In the first chapter, when Lewis discusses the moment after the play that ended Theismann’s career, he describes the linemen, including left tackle Russ Grimm, hurrying toward the sideline “like men fleeing the scene of a crime” (22).