Titans' Dyson Sidelined For Season
N A S H V I L L E, Tenn., Sept. 21 -- Tennessee Titans receiver Kevin Dyson will miss the rest of the season after tearing knee ligaments during a collision in practice.
An MRI showed that Dyson tore the anterior cruciate ligament andthe medial collateral ligament in his left knee, Titans spokesmanRobbie Bohren said today.
Dyson, better known for his role in the Music City Miracle andthe final play of the Titans’ Super Bowl loss, collided with safetyPerry Phenix while going up for a deep pass from Neil O’Donnell.
When Dyson went down, running back Eddie George slammed down hishelmet. He and receivers Carl Pickens and Yancey Thigpen followedDyson toward the training room as he gently walked off with help.
Tight end Frank Wycheck, who tossed the lateral to Dyson insetting up his 75-yard return last January against Buffalo, calledit a freak injury.
“Dice is an excellent player. He’s having a great year,”Wycheck said. “From a personal standpoint, it’s tough to swallow.At practice, it doesn’t mean anything. For a guy to be out for asignificant amount of time, it hurts you.”
Short a Receiver
Dyson led the Titans in receiving yards in 1999 with 658, and hehas six catches for a team-high 104 yards this season.
The injury leaves the Titans suddenly short at receiver. Theyhave Carl Pickens, whom they signed in July after he was releasedby the Cincinnati Bengals.
But Yancey Thigpen, who hasn’t played a full season since hislast with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997 due to a variety ofinjuries, is nursing a tight hamstring. Dyson had knocked ChrisSanders out of a starting job during the 1998 season, and he hascaught only one pass during the first two games.
Derrick Mason had been used mainly on punt and kickoff returnsthe first two games and hasn’t caught a pass yet.
“Somebody else has to step up and make the play whether it’smyself or Yancey, Carl, Chris,” Mason said.
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