Michael Phelps to Teach Swimming to Ravens Players After Viral Training Camp Video
Olympic icon Michael Phelps dives into Ravens training camp to give swim lessons after players reveal they can’t swim
Baltimore, August 1 EST: Michael Phelps is pulling up to your practice facility to teach you how to float, something special and slightly hilarious is going on.
The greatest swimmer the world has ever known, Baltimore’s own Olympic God of the Water, is strapping on goggles to save a chunk of the Ravens roster from the deep end. Not metaphorically. Literally.
Because apparently brace yourself one in three Ravens can’t swim. Not can’t backstroke. Not can’t tread water. We’re talking “I’m not jumping in unless someone throws me a life vest” can’t swim.
And yet, here they are. Burly, million-dollar athletes with 40-yard dash times that would make a cheetah blush, standing on the edge of a training camp pool like it’s the Mariana Trench.
Marlon Humphrey Just Went Full Send and Michael Answered the Call
It all started with a cell phone and some elite cornerback trolling. Marlon Humphrey, never one to keep it low-key, fired off an Instagram video from the Under Armour Performance Center on July 29, dragging teammates Kyle Hamilton, Ronnie Stanley, and Charlie Kolar into a viral moment.
“Come to Ravens training camp and teach us how to swim,” he said, tagging none other than Phelps. Hamilton, deadpan, dropped the line: “Did you know that one in three Ravens cannot swim?” Kolar looked like he’d just realized the internet exists.
And then, the GOAT of the lanes answered. “I got y’all!!! Let’s do it!!” Phelps wrote back, sealing the deal faster than a flip turn.
From Pool Records to Playbooks
Forget “Hard Knocks” this is the offseason crossover we didn’t know we needed. Phelps, the same guy who once swam faster than the rest of the planet for two straight decades, is now going to be teaching swim basics to a bunch of dudes who eat 5,000 calories before breakfast and run 20 miles a week.
He’s not doing it for clout. He’s doing it because he loves this team. Born in Baltimore, Phelps grew up with the Ravens. He’s stood on their field, waved to crowds, posed with Lombardi trophies. Now, he’s giving something back not medals, not speeches, but muscle memory, safety, survival. That’s real.
And here’s the kicker: this isn’t just a feel-good cameo. It’s a window into something that rarely gets talked about in pro sports how many elite athletes never learned how to swim. That’s not just odd. It’s dangerous.
Laugh All You Want But This Is Bigger Than Banter
Sure, fans have had a field day. Reddit lit up with jokes about floaties and belly flops. Someone posted a photoshopped image of Lamar Jackson doing butterfly in shoulder pads. But underneath the jokes is a real conversation: how are there still gaps this big in something so fundamental?
This isn’t about privilege or opportunity anymore. These guys have a recovery pool on site. Yet a third of them are avoiding it because water isn’t familiar terrain. That’s not a knock it’s a fact. And it’s a call to do better.
So now, they’ll learn. From the best to ever breathe between strokes.
Kolar: “I Didn’t Know He Was Gonna Post That”
One of the best quotes came from Charlie Kolar, who admitted to People that he didn’t think the clip was going to go public. Buddy, welcome to 2025. The moment Marlon hits “post,” it’s you, Phelps, and the entire internet now.
Still, props to him and the rest of the crew for leaning into it. No shame in learning, especially when your instructor has 23 gold medals and an American flag tattoo. If Phelps tells you to flutter kick, you flutter.
A Summer Sideshow That Feels Like Family
If you’re looking for football strategy in this, stop. This isn’t about Cover 2 or gap discipline. It’s about camaraderie. It’s about swagger. It’s about one of the best athletes ever saying “yeah, I got you” to his hometown team not with a retweet, but with trunks and goggles.
And let’s be honest: there’s no way John Harbaugh isn’t secretly loving every second of this. Team building? Check. Local legend? Check. Media firestorm in the dead zone of camp? Double check.
We don’t know when the first lesson is happening. We don’t know who’ll sink or swim. But we know this: if the Ravens go on a tear this season, don’t be surprised if a little chlorine made the difference.
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A former college-level cricketer and lifelong sports enthusiast, Arun Upadhayay brings the heart of an athlete to the sharp eye of a journalist. With firsthand experience in competitive sports and a deep understanding of team dynamics, Arun covers everything from grassroots tournaments to high-stakes international showdowns. His reporting blends field-level grit with analytical precision, making him a trusted voice for sports fans across New Jersey and beyond.
