When Michael Phelps heard the call to help the Ravens swim, he sprang from the starting block like he was right back in the Olympics.
"I seriously had not seen him that excited for a long, long time," said Cathy Bennett, the program manager of the Michael Phelps Foundation.
After cornerback Marlon Humphrey and teammates asked Phelps to teach players to swim on July 29 in a viral social media post, the gears went into motion, figuring out how to pull it off. Two weeks later, the most decorated Olympian of all time and huge Ravens fan came home to Baltimore on a mission.
Phelps took a tour of the Ravens' new recovery pool at the Under Armour Performance Center and watched training camp practice. After practice, the 23-time gold medalist and fellow Ravens legend (and good friend) Ray Lewis gave the team a motivational speech about what it takes to win in the biggest moments.
But the main reason for Phelps' visit was to get in the pool with the Ravens. Humphrey started it all after he noticed one day that one of his teammates wasn't fully enjoying the training facility's new pool.
"He goes, 'I'm from New York. I don't need to know how to swim. But if Michael comes, I'll learn,'" Humphrey said, relaying the origin of his call for help to Phelps.
That got the inquisitive and outgoing Humphrey asking around, trying to figure out how widespread this was. He, Kyle Hamilton, Ronnie Stanley, and Charlie Kolar found that about one-third of the team doesn't know how to swim and filmed the message calling for Phelps' help.
So, after Tuesday's practice, the team loaded onto buses and departed for Loyola College's aquatic center. While not every player jumped in, the vast majority of Ravens players traded in their jerseys for swim trunks and goggles. Humphrey tried his best to coax the stragglers into the pool.
A chunk of the team went for the diving boards for a competition that seemed less about form and more about splash power. Tyler Linderbaum had the highlight with a high-dive back flop that sent his teammates into hysterics.
The competitive side of the players took over, and they raced each other and Phelps. Hamilton, long snapper Nick Moore and punter Jordan Stout were some of the Ravens' fastest swimmers but they all were blown away by Phelps until he started giving them massive head starts. Phelps brought along his son, Beckett, who also raced some Ravens.
Another group of Ravens remained in the shallow end, where they received lessons from Phelps and members of the Michael Phelps Foundation, which provides families with the tools and support to be more confident and comfortable in the water and in life. They were joined by kids from the Boyes & Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore, which also brought along kids trying to learn to swim.
Phelps tried to teach 341-pound defensive tackle Travis Jones how to kick more gracefully with the assistance of a pool noodle. Phelps fetched kickboards so other Ravens players could practice their form.
Linebacker Roquan Smith, who grew up in rural Georgia, was one of the Ravens' most engaged learners throughout the entire session, showing that it's never too late to learn how to swim.
"If I have to swim less than 20 yards, I could survive somehow because I could doggy paddle," Smith said. "But as far as actually swimming and knowing how to breathe and things of that nature, honestly, it was my first time. It was really cool. It was really solid, some of the lessons they gave me. I feel a little more confident."
Stanley knew how to swim, but said Phelps gave him pointers on keeping his shoulders tight during his stroke, like he's swimming in an MRI machine.
"This was an amazing day," Stanley said. "I think that's the greatest athlete of all time. To be able to share the water with him and actually swim laps against him and get coaching points after swimming against him, it was very surreal. I don't know that I've ever felt that way, to be honest."
For Phelps, it was a chance to further his mission and spread the word about the importance of learning to swim while being with his favorite team. He called himself "the biggest Ravens fan on the planet," but on Tuesday, he got a chance to give back and the Ravens reciprocated, making a $100,000 donation to his foundation.
Before they jumped in the water, he told the players that when he started swimming as a kid, he didn't like putting his face in the water. His teacher started him with the backstroke and eventually he overcame his fear, flipped over, and became the most decorated swimmer of all time.
"I didn't know what I was getting into. I had no idea what their comfort level was," Phelps said. "When I see the guys in there and some of the guys who are literally working on floating and breathing, and they're focused on paying attention to those details, it shows their vulnerability, especially when they're uncomfortable.
"It was a special day. Racing some of the fellas in the 25 [meter]. My son raced some of the guys. It was a great day. I truly hope they learned something, hopefully got some confidence, and hopefully can transition into something else."
