Who's the greatest athlete in South Hampton Roads history?

Must be something in the water.

For decades, that’s been the offhand explanation for the profusion of athletic talent that has emerged from our corner of Southeastern Virginia. Over the years, South Hampton Roads has produced Olympic medalists, all-stars in nearly every major league sport, college and pro hall of famers and high school and NCAA All-Americans and national players of the year.

We are a hotbed, if we must say so ourselves. Rather than grapple with the why, we have decided to look at the what, and do what any self-respecting sports fans would: compile a list.

The Virginian-Pilot has come up with the 50 greatest athletes from South Hampton Roads. After rating them 11-50, we asked a panel of experts – all longtime observers of the local sports scene – to rank the top 10.

Our rating criteria was simple: achievement at the highest level of a particular sport. Being a prep phenom alone was not enough. This is not a list of the greatest high school athletes, but of those who made their mark in the larger sports world.

To be considered, an athlete must have grown up in one of the five Southside cities (Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk). Those who passed through in college were not eligible, which is why local legends such as Nancy Lieberman (Old Dominion) and Bobby Dandridge (Norfolk State) are not on the list. Coaches were also not included.

When we were done, our list included athletes from 13 different sports, reaching as far back as the late 19th century. Football players dominated, grabbing 19 spots.