Michael Phelps Gets Michigan Linebackers Psyched With Pump-Up Speech Before College Football Playoff

Michael Phelps knows a thing or two about winning. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all-time, with a total of 28 medals— 23 of which being gold medals.

The 37-year-old U.S. legend is also a big University of Michigan fan. Phelps trained and took classes in Ann Arbor throughout his career and has been around the university ever since.

That was the case prior to the season when he spoke with the football program about conditioning, which is something that Jim Harbaugh called the Wolverines' "X-factor" back in November.


The thing that just continues to ring in my ear and head from that talk — crystal clear he told us how he couldn't wait to get into 105 pounds of ice waiting for him in a bath that was gonna be the thing he did right after he got done with talking to our team. He talked about sleep, he talked about hydration, water. Somebody that could go anywhere in the world, do any kind of treatment known to mankind — Ice, sleep, and hydration with water.

Michael Phelps was also in attendance on Saturday.

As Michigan prepared for battle against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, which played host to the College Football Playoff semifinal, Phelps was on the sideline in Glendale, Arizona. He was rocking a man bun, and maize and blue from head to toe.

Not only was he in attendance, Phelps was very involved in pregame. At one point, Wolverines linebackers coach George Helow called him over to talk with his guys.

Whatever Phelps said in the huddle must have hit home because both he and the players were PSYCHED as he walked back toward the sideline. Put him in, coach!