If anyone knows what athletics can do for the life of a young person, it is Kevin Dyson.¶
Most Tennesseans know him for the part he played in the Tennessee Titans’ Super Bowl run in the team’s inaugural season in Nashville, specifically the famous Music City Miracle: a last-ditch, game-winning lateral on a kickoff Dyson returned for a touchdown in the final seconds of the American Football Conference (AFC) Wild Card game.¶
By the time he retired from football in 2003, Dyson says he had no idea that, 23 years later, he would be attempting to open a new high school in the very same city where he played most of his career.¶
“I saved my money,” Dyson said. “I didn't do a whole lot of spending, but I also didn't necessarily set myself up for after ball. I was 30 years old, and I thought, ‘Ok, what do I want to do?’”¶
Today, Dyson is applying to be the founder of Music City Academy, a proposed tuition-free public charter high school that would open in fall 2027 if approved next week.The proposed school would utilize the “unifying power of athletics” by using athletic participation, movement, teamwork, and coaching as core elements of student development, instead of just an extracurricular activity.¶
How Dyson Found His Love of Education
Dyson says his first steps toward becoming a school founder occurred early in his post-football career, when he joined the coaching staff at Nashville Franklin Road Academy. He says that’s where he experienced the first spark of his love for education.¶
“My first couple practices there, I just truly enjoyed it,” Dyson said. “The kids seemed to be engaged in what I was saying. They seemed to be gravitating towards me and my abilities, and I was seeing kids pick up things and the light bulb moments, and I was like, ‘Man, I kind of like this.’”¶
Dyson graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in sociology before the Titans (then the Houston Oilers) selected him with the 16th pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. However, he knew if he truly wanted to pursue education as a career, he needed to go back to school. He went on to earn a Master of Education and a doctorate from Trevecca Nazarene University.¶
Since then, he has served as assistant principal at Independence High School in Thompson’s Station and as a principal at Grassland Middle School and then Centennial High School, both located in Franklin.¶
“I just began to grow, not only as a as an educator, but as a person,” Dyson said. “I started learning that I actually do enjoy learning.”¶
Founding Music City Academy
Through the lens of athletics, Music City Academy aims to place a strong emphasis on “the whole child,” meaning the development of not just academic prowess, but also the mind, spirit, and character of each student. Each student will be part of a team guided by coaches and mentors who get to know them personally and serve as support systems, providing accountability and personalized direction.¶
“Everybody's going to move every day, exercise every (school) day,” Dyson said. “Research will show you that exercise builds the endorphins in your brain, and you're open to learning and things of that nature.”¶
Another aspect of the school’s instruction will be to encourage movement in general instead of stagnation.¶
“Having kids being able to move and use all their senses, not just sitting at the desk and watching a teacher audibly trying to learn, you’ve got to use all the senses and skills to help you get kids to learn,” Dyson said.¶
Not Just a Sports School
The school will also connect students and their passions to high-demand careers in Nashville’s fastest-growing industries, including sports medicine, therapeutic services, audio and visual production, and emergency services. Dyson also said the school aims to enrich the lives of students with ambition or a passion, especially if they want to get a job in the world of sports, and each student will graduate not just with a diploma, but with hands-on CTE experience and industry-recognized credentials to prepare them for their careers and the rest of their lives.¶
Dyson said there is a misconception that the Music City Academy will be “just a sports school,” when it will instead use sports as a vehicle for student engagement. He explained that giving students something else to love at school, beyond the basic curriculum, is what keeps them engaged throughout the school year.¶
“Research will tell you a couple things (about) truancy, absenteeism, and grades,” Dyson said. “Grades go up (and) absenteeism goes down in the midst of somebody's (sports) season. And that's not just sports. That's when students are engaged or a part of something bigger than themselves, whether it be the theater, whether it be the band, whether it be these other things that entice them to come to school. That's why kids come.”¶
What’s Next
The Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education will decide whether to approve Music City Academy’s amended application in its meeting on July 28. The board voted the school’s initial application down in April, and its members have shown a bias in recent years against approving new charter schools.¶
If denied, the Dyson would have the option of appealing directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.¶
