Tyson grew up in Boonville, Missouri with three younger siblings and his parents: ‘Atiyyah Ellison, third round draft pick to the Carolina Panthers, and Jessica Ellison, the first overall draft pick on every parent board or community group in Boonville. His parents got him prepared for his career early as an actor in elementary school. Ever since, Tyson has felt his most comfortable in front of the camera.

Tyson attended Missouri Boys State as a News Director in high school, where he discovered his passion for journalism. He took that passion home to work on “SHOWTIME,” a ‘Hard Knocks’ style documentary series based on the Boonville Pirates’ football season. Tyson played defensive end and left tackle at Boonville while making his documentary series on the side.

Tyson earned a preferred walk-on offer at his dad’s alma mater, the University of Missouri, to play linebacker. His collegiate football career mirrored his high school one, in that he diligently worked as a journalist at the same time. During the 2023 football season, he reported at high school games for KOMU 8’s Friday Night Fever and created content for his YouTube channel while wearing the Mizzou Football uniform on Saturdays. In 2024, he added another role, anchoring Sunday morning sports after Saturday games.

After football, Tyson joined the Tiger Kickoff Show. While initially a student project for fun, Tyson worked alongside previous host Jacob Siciliano and ESPN’s John Anderson to create a full-fledged broadcast operation with game day media credentials and expert film analysis in Tyson’s original segment, Sideline Study Hall. In one season (Aug-Dec 2025), the show’s social media channels went from 0 to 2.7M+ impressions. Tyson’s work was recognized with two wins and two nominations in the 2026 NATAS Student Production Awards. In 2026, Tyson hopes to continue the path forward with the Tiger Kickoff Show as the new host and executive producer.

This year he will get to record his younger brother, Braylon Ellison, who just started his career as a Mizzou offensive lineman in January 2026.

Tyson tells his complete story and how his on-field failure led to future success in his keynote speech at the Missouri Interscholastic Journalism Association J-Day.