Ex-Cowboys Star Who Was Arrested For Exposing Himself To Young Girl Has Passed Away

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Lance Rentzel has passed away. 

Rentzel was one of the most popular players on the Cowboys roster during his heyday. He was married to former actress and singer Joey Heatherton, a 1960s sex symbol. 

And, at one point, he even dabbled in pop music, recording a single on Columbia Records in 1968.

He was 82 at the time of his death, which was announced by The Dallas Morning News.

Rentzel had it all going for him after the Minnesota Vikings drafted him in 1965.

Two years later, the Vikings traded Rentzel to the Cowboys, where his career really took off. He led the NFL in receiving yards in 1969, the same year he married Heatherton.

Lance Rentzel’s Life Spiraled After Guilty Plea

Rentzel’s time with the Cowboys soured when he was arrested for exposing himself to a 10-year-old girl at a playground in Minnesota. He pleaded guilty, with his lawyers arguing that he was undergoing psychiatric treatment. 

The plea deal saw him avoid jail time. He received a five-year probationary sentence, which required him to undergo mandatory psychiatric care. 

Heatherton filed for divorce shortly after, and the Cowboys traded him to the Los Angeles Rams.

“We know we are giving up one of the top flankers in the league,” then-Cowboys head coach Tom Landry said.

“I thought he would be better off in another city where he had the same opportunity regularly. We found this in Los Angeles, and it was one of the teams Lance wanted to be traded to if he were traded.”

Rentzel claimed the divorce wasn’t a result of his actions, but rather because he behaved as if it never happened. 

He dated actress Victoria Principal for a short spell thereafter. 

Rentzel was unable to avoid trouble after his move to California. The NFL banned him for 10 months after a conviction on marijuana possession in 1973. 

He also failed to replicate his Cowboys form in L.A., which led the Rams to place him on waivers in 1975, marking the end of his career. 

Rentzel moved to Virginia after retirement, staying until his death on June 7.