Feb 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps looks on prior to the USA match against Australia in the SheBelieves Cup women’s soccer tournament at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ravens Get Unforgettable Speeches From Michael Phelps, Ray Lewis

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 11:00 AM ET

With less than a month to go until the games start actually mattering, the Baltimore Ravens are in the final stages of preparation as they gear up for arguably their most important season in franchise history.

The Ravens have more pressure on them to win a championship than ever before, so perhaps it's appropriate that they invited not one, but two legendary athletes to Tuesday's practice. The first is incredibly familiar to them, of course being Hall of Fame linebacker and the greatest player in franchise history, Ray Lewis. The second is legendary Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, a Baltimore native who made good on his promise to help Ravens players learn how to swim.

Both athletes gave speeches at that practice, which head coach John Harbaugh described as "once-in-a-lifetime."

"It was amazing," Harbaugh told reporters Wednesday . "I was looking around at the faces of the players. If I had a mirror, I think my face would've been the same. Just listening to these two guys – we had two of the, arguably, the greatest ever – the greatest ever to do what they do, in history. That's pretty rare. And they're standing right next to each other on the same field. Rasheen Ali said to me, he said, 'Yes, and Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry and Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey.' He named it off right in that group, and it kind of opens your eyes a little bit.

"And then the words that they shared with the guys were just, they were just so spot on. It's all the things that our guys, they know, [and] they believe in. And to hear them reinforced and put in such terms; in terms that the guys are very vulnerable about. They kind of talked about their careers a little bit. It was a once in a lifetime [moment]."

talk @raylewis @MichaelPhelps pic.twitter.com/3IN4UPKd4e
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 12, 2025

As Harbaugh said, Lewis and Phelps are both arguably the best to ever play their roles. Lewis was a perennial Pro Bowler in Baltimore from the team's inaugural season in 1996 up until their second Super Bowl victory in 2012. Phelps, meanwhile, is the most decorated Olympian in history with 28 medals, 23 of which are gold.

Both of them know what it's like to experience championship glory, and the Ravens hope they'll join them in that club this season.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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