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Baltimore Ravens stop game to watch hometown hero Michael Phelps swim

The Ravens paused their preseason game on Thursday night to show Baltimore native Michael Phelps on the Jumbotron winning his race in Rio.
/ Source: TODAY

As Michael Phelps captured his 22nd gold medal on Thursday night, fans at the Baltimore Ravens game made sure to send him a roar all the way from his hometown to Rio.

WATCH on NBCOlympics.com: Highlights from Phelps' 200m victory

The Ravens halted their preseason game against the visiting Carolina Panthers to show Phelps, a Baltimore-area native, race in the 200m individual medley on the Jumbotron at M&T Bank Stadium.

Panthers Ravens Football
Aug 11, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore fans cheer as they watch a replay on the scoreboard of Micheal Phelps winning his fourth gold medal of the Rio Olympics during the second half of the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers.Tommy Gilligan / Reuters

The hometown crowd exploded in cheers after Phelps brought home the win for his fourth gold medal of the Rio Olympics.

Even the Carolina Panthers, who lost the game 22-19, had to give it up for another scintillating Phelps performance.

Phelps is a die-hard Ravens fan who has previously been cheered in person at Baltimore games. During his turbulent journey to Rio, which included a stint in rehab, he credited retired Ravens great Ray Lewis for helping him through a difficult time.

Following his win, Phelps said on the broadcast that he had asked a friend for the score of the Ravens game and that he can't wait to get back to cheer the team on. He even had reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton of the Panthers paying respect.

Phelps' performance also left an impression on Baltimore's players.

"I'm into that kind of stuff,'' safety Eric Weddle told The Baltimore Sun. "I can sit back in 10, 15, 20 years when I'm sitting with my kids I'll be able to say that I'm sitting in Ravens Stadium during a game and I'm watching one of the best swimmers ever win a gold for the U.S. You know, as you get older, you cherish those kinds of moments."

Follow TODAY.com writer Scott Stump on Twitter.