Wide receiver Dyson picks up Boston's slack for Chargers

SAN DIEGO -- Maybe Kevin Dyson can bring a miracle to a team that desperately needs one.

The wide receiver, best known for two plays in the postseason four years ago, signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Chargers on Friday. The move came four days after the Chargers traded David Boston, their troubled leading wideout, to Miami.

"After I saw what happened with David Boston, it was a no-brainer for me," said Dyson, a six-year veteran who goes from the NFC champion Carolina Panthers to the NFL's worst team. "It's a great opportunity for me. It's a young receiving corps. I had been used to being the young guy, but now I'm an established veteran. I'm coming to a situation where I have a chance to lead a bunch of young guys."

Dyson was sidelined much of last year with a torn Achilles' tendon. He played in only one regular-season game, catching one pass for 15 yards. He played in all four postseason games, including the Panthers' Super Bowl loss to New England, but didn't catch any passes.

Four years earlier, Dyson completed one of the most memorable plays ever. He scored the "Music City Miracle" touchdown on Jan. 8, 2000, to give Tennessee a 22-16 wild-card playoff win over Buffalo, taking a lateral from Frank Wycheck on a last-second kickoff and racing 75 yards down the left sideline.

Incidentally, David Boston's father, Byron, was the line judge who made the call on the "Music City Miracle."

A.J. Smith, now the Chargers' general manager, was Buffalo's assistant GM at the time.

"I almost didn't sign him because of that," Smith joked. "I told him, 'I'm just getting over that nightmare and now I have to see your face.' We laughed."

Three weeks after the miracle finish, Dyson caught a pass on the final play of the Super Bowl against St. Louis and was tackled by Mike Jones at the 1-yard line. He was still contorted on the ground, vainly reaching for the end zone, as Rams players celebrated their 23-16 win.

"Three weeks separated the highs and lows," Dyson said. "The touchdown run was the highest of highs, and then you can't get much lower than having the ball at the end of game and coming up short.

"I've been to two Super Bowls and came up short twice," Dyson said. "You just take it with a grain of salt."

Smith called Dyson "an intriguing player who we feel still has a lot to contribute."

He joins a team that needs help at almost every position after finishing an NFL-worst 4-12 and missing the playoffs for the eighth straight season.

Smith said talks with Dyson went fast, and that he passed his physical.

"He looked at our position and got excited about jumping in," Smith said. "A lot of receivers would by looking at our crew, now that David's not here. They're pretty inexperienced, except for Timmy Dwight."

And Dwight missed the last six games of 2003 with a partially collapsed lung.

Dyson played five seasons with the Titans after they picked him in the first round of the 1998 draft. His best season was 2001 when he had career-highs with 825 yards and seven touchdowns while matching his career best with 54 catches.

His brother, Andre, is a cornerback for the Titans.

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