50 Greatest

50 Greatest Athletes of South Hampton Roads: Nos. 1-10

Mark.Edelen — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

1
Ace Parker
Football / Baseball
Hometown Portsmouth
Born 1912
Claim to fame Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, 1940 NFL MVP, major league baseball player
Read a full profile.

2
Bruce Smith
Football
Hometown Norfolk
Born 1963

No. 1 athlete Ace Parker is the pride of Portsmouth

Mark.Edelen — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

PORTSMOUTH To see an Ace Parker drive, you turn onto Ace Parker Drive and follow the road back to the first tee at Elizabeth Manor Country Club. Parker, 96, hits golf balls there now and then, near the house where he has lived for more than 50 years, on the course whose main drag bears his name, in the city where his legend has been civic treasure for three-quarters of a century.

D.J. Dozier had a Bo Jackson-like versatility

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:27:15 -0500

As William, Bill, or even Billy, it just would not have worked as well. William Henry "D.J." Dozier would have been no less the athlete without that alliterative name, smooth as one of his touchdown runs or fielding gems at shortstop. That name - "D.J. Dozier" - was the shiny bow on top of the package of prep stardom.

50 Greatest Athletes of South Hampton Roads: Nos. 11-20

david.putney — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:16:49 -0500

11
LaTasha Colander-Clark

Track
Hometown Portsmouth
Born 1976
Claim to fame Olympic gold medalist in 2000; Olympian in 2004, two-time U.S. 400-meter champ

Lawrence Johnson raised the bar and hit new heights

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Loneliness is being the only pole vaulter competing on a raw April day. Lawrence Johnson knew that solitude. He lived it many times while at Great Bridge High. "A lot of meets, he'd be the only one vaulting," said his former coach, Pat Banks, now at Grassfield High. "It would be 45 degrees, and he'd be jumping 15-16 feet.

50 Greatest Athletes of South Hampton Roads: Nos. 21-30

Mark.Edelen — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:11:19 -0500

21
Chandler Harper

Golf
Hometown Portsmouth
Born 1914 - Died 2004
Claim to fame Winner of 1950 PGA championship; inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame

In Hampton Roads, Olympian Blair was one who got away

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:15:59 -0500

His 41st year was a nerve-wracking one for Pete Blair, a devout Catholic. As a child, he had promised God that if He would allow Blair to grow 6 feet tall, gain admission to the United States Naval Academy and wrestle in the Olympics, the Good Lord could take him at age 40.

50 Greatest Athletes of South Hampton Roads: Nos. 31-40

Mark.Edelen — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:11:26 -0500

31
Steve DeLong

Football
Hometown Chesapeake
Born 1943
Claim to fame Outland Trophy winner at Tennessee

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

Mark.Edelen — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:54 -0500

Must be something in the water.

50 Greatest Athletes of South Hampton Roads: Nos. 41-50

Mark.Edelen — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:27 -0500

41
Yogi Hightower-Boothe

Field hockey
Hometown Virginia Beach
Born 1961
Claim to fame Starter on the 1988 Olympic field hockey team