Which NFL team did Michael Phelps's father try out for in the 1970s?

Michael Phelps’s father, Fred Phelps, tried out for the Washington Redskins in the 1970s. He did not make the team, but the attempt reflected his own background as a serious athlete.

Fred played football as a defensive back at Fairmont State College in West Virginia and established himself as a talented college athlete. After college, he pursued the chance to play professionally by attending a Redskins tryout. He later worked for many years as a Maryland State Police trooper.

The football connection is often overshadowed by the swimming careers in the family. Michael and his two older sisters all became competitive swimmers, while their mother, Deborah, supported the children’s demanding schedules after the couple divorced. Fred’s athletic background nevertheless offered Michael another example of high-level competition.

The Redskins name is historically accurate for the period described. The franchise used that name in the 1970s and later changed its identity, becoming Washington Football Team in 2020 and Washington Commanders in 2022. Those later names should not be substituted into a question about Fred’s 1970s tryout.