U-M crowd gives Phelps a hero's welcomeOlympic superstar is honored along with fellow Wolverines who won medals in Beijing.
Joanne C. Gerstner / The Detroit News
ANN ARBOR -- Olympic superstar swimmer Michael Phelps took a break Saturday from being one of the most recognizable people on the planet.
He was sort of incognito, looking like another Michigan student wearing a block "M" baseball cap, a blue Wolverines football jersey and jeans.
On this day, he was another U-M fan coming to the Big House to cheer on the football team against Wisconsin. But he couldn't entirely escape his claim to fame.
Phelps, along with nearly three dozen other Michigan athletes, was honored before the Wisconsin game for their performances in the Olympic trials and Beijing Summer Olympics.
Phelps won a record eight gold medals, and the crowd at Michigan Stadium gave him a rousing standing ovation when he was announced. He pumped his fist in response to the cheering, along with smiling and waving to the crowd.
Other Wolverines who won medals, such as Peter Vanderkaay (swimming), Nick Willis (1,500 meter run), and Betsey Armstrong (water polo), were also given strong cheers of appreciation.
"It's really great to be back here, this is like home to me," said Phelps, who has trained in Ann Arbor with Club Wolverine since 2004.
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