One of Roquan Smith's favorite sayings is "chin up, chest out." It's a reference to taking on challenges head-on, without fear or regrets.

In the pool at Loyola College's aquatics center Tuesday afternoon, that saying took on figurative and literal meaning for Smith.

It may seem odd that one of the NFL's toughest guys and a three-time All-Pro linebacker doesn't know how to swim. But growing up in rural Montezuma, Ga., Smith didn't have those resources at his fingertips.

So, as many of his teammates did cannonballs off the high dive and raced each other across the pool, Smith waded in the shallow end as an eager student. Who better to teach him than the best swimmer of all time, 23-time gold medalist Michael Phelps, and his foundation?

Smith got lessons on how to float on his back. He l

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