Michael Phelps, Sports Illustrated Cover Boy

It's been quite the year for Michael Phelps since dominating the swimming competitions in the 2008 Summer Olympics. A Saturday Night Live hosting gig. A guest stint on Entourage. A spot on Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2008 list. Along with other assorted perks of newfound fame.

And now, Phelps has landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated as that magazine's Sportsman of the Year.

The 23-year-old, 6' 4" Baltimore native—who's currently dating Las Vegas cocktail waitress Caroline "Caz" Pal, 26—is profiled extensively in the December 8 issue.  He is lauded for both his athletic prowess and his charitable efforts. (The Michael Phelps Foundation, which aims to expand access to water for children around the country, was launched thanks to Phelps' donation of the $1 million bonus he received from Speedo for receiving eight gold medals.)

Some excerpts from the Sports Illustrated story:

On his miscreant youth: "Pushing kids into the pool? That's nothing. I got busted for much worse than that."

On the effect that the Beijing Games had on his life: "To this day I'm not sure the magnitude of what happened over there has hit me."

On his original motivation for learning to swim: "The reason I started swimming was water safety, pure and simple. I have a passion for keeping kids safe. My mission is to teach as many as I can to swim. It's not about chasing medals—you never know when you're going to be put in a situation that's life or death."

Wow; for someone who spends so much time in the wet stuff, it's amazing that Michael Phelps is able to stay so firmly grounded.