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| Born | October 14, 1943 Flushing, New York |
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| Career information | |||
| Year(s) | 1965–1974 | ||
| NFL Draft | 1965 / Round: 2 / Pick: 23 | ||
| AFL Draft | 1965 / Round: 6 / Pick: 48 (By the Buffalo Bills) |
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| College | Oklahoma | ||
| Professional teams | |||
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| Career stats | |||
| Receptions | 268 | ||
| Receiving yards | 4826 | ||
| Touchdowns | 42 | ||
| Stats at NFL.com | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Thomas Lance Rentzel (born October 14, 1943 in Flushing, New York) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams from 1965 to 1974.
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He was a four-sport star at Casady School (football, basketball, baseball and track), and also an All-America high school halfback.
Rentzel played college football at the University of Oklahoma under famous coach Bud Wilkinson, where he starred as a versatile all-around halfback from 1962 to 1964. At Oklahoma, Rentzel was known for his open field speed and propensity for big plays rushing, receiving and returning kicks.
During his senior year in 1965, he was named to the All-Big Eight Conference team. That year he was Oklahoma's top pass catcher and punter. In the Big Eight Conference his 5.4 rushing average was second only to Gayle Sayers. He was also the conference's No. 3 pass receiver and No. 2 punter with a 40.5-yard average.
He was one of three Sooners stars who missed the 1965 Gator Bowl game against Florida State University. Rentzel, offensive lineman Ralph Neely and fullback Jim Grisham signed with professional teams before the game, and were ruled ineligible for the contest, which Florida State University won 36–19 on the strength of four touchdown catches by Fred Biletnikoff.
Rentzel was drafted in the second round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, where he played sparingly as a backup running back, because of recurring injuries. During his first two seasons, his contributions came mainly as a kickoff returner, as a rookie in 1965 he set the record for the longest kickoff (101 yards) in franchise history, that was eventually broken by Aundrae Allison's 104-yarder in 2007.
He was traded to the Dallas Cowboys after the 1966 season for a third round draft choice.
The Cowboys gave him a second chance and converted him to wide receiver, where not only did he became an immediate starter, but also one of the best players in the NFL at his position, while leading the team in receptions from 1967 through 1969 and in receiving yards from 1968 through 1969.
The prime of his career was spent with the Cowboys, where he formed the best NFL wide receiver duo with hall of famer Bob Hayes. Rentzel notably played in the "Ice Bowl," scoring a fourth quarter, go-ahead touchdown. His best season came in 1968 when he caught 54 receptions for 1,009 yards. In 1969 he had a career high 12 touchdowns receptions, that helped him finish tied with Tom Matte as the NFL touchdown leader (13).
He was leading the team in receiving yards in 1970 when he was arrested for exposing himself to a ten-year-old girl. At the time the accusation was made, the press revealed a nearly forgotten incident that happened with the Vikings in september 1966, where he had been charged with exposing himself to two young girls in Saint Paul Minnesota. The charges at the time had been reduced to disorderly conduct to which he had pled guilty (he was not sentenced and ordered to seek psychiatric care). Because of the nationwide reaction and publicity his scandal received, Rentzel requested the Cowboys to place him on the inactive list so he could devote his time to settling his personal affairs. He missed the last three games of the 1970 regular season, including the team's playoff drive to the Super Bowl V loss against the Baltimore Colts.
During the offseason he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for tight end Billy Truax and wide receiver Wendell Tucker. Head coach Tom Landry said after the trade, "We know we are giving up on one of the top flankers in the league, but 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".
To replace him, the Cowboys also obtained Lance Alworth from the San Diego Chargers, in exchange for left tackle Tony Liscio, tight end Pettis Norman and defensive tackle Ron East.
Although he spent only four seasons with the team, he left ranked as the fourth all-time Cowboys wide receiver, among other franchise accomplishments:
Although he led the Los Angeles Rams in receptions (38) in 1971, he would never regain his previous high level of performance.
He had completed 2 seasons with the Rams, when Rentzel was suspended indefinitely by the league at the start of the 1973 season for conduct detrimental to the National Football League, after he was convicted of marijuana posession. He was later reinstated in 1974 after a 10 month suspension.
On august 1975 during the offseason, he was put on waivers by the Rams, effectively ending his career.
After playing in nine NFL seasons, he accumulated 4,826 yards receiving, 196 yards rushing, and 1,000 yards returning punts and kickoffs. He also had a perfect passer rating, by virtue of his lone pass attempt being completed for a 58-yard touchdown.
In November 1970, Rentzel was arrested for exposing himself to a 10-year-old girl in University Park, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. His wife, singer/actress, Joey Heatherton, divorced him shortly thereafter. Four years earlier he had a similar incident at a playground in Minnesota, when playing for the Vikings, but was charged with disorderly conduct in exchange for promising to attend therapy. He was subsequently traded to the Dallas Cowboys.[1] Prior to the 1971 season, the Cowboys traded Rentzel to the Rams for Billy Truax and Wendell Tucker.[2] In 1973, while on probation for the indecent exposure charge, Rentzel was arrested for possession of marijuana. NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle suspended him for the entire 1973 season. Rentzel was allowed to return for a final season with the Rams in 1974, before retiring.
Rentzel was one of three men credited with inspiring the eccentricities that surround "Media Day" at the Super Bowl. Then-SPORT magazine editor Dick Schaap hired Rentzel and teammate Fred Dryer to cover Super Bowl IX. Donning costumes inspired by The Front Page, "Cubby O'Switzer" (Rentzel) and "Scoops Brannigan" (Dryer) peppered players and coaches from both the Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers with questions that ranged from clichéd to downright absurd.[3][4] This wasn't Rentzel's first association with SPORT magazine; he was the subject of a lengthy feature article written by author Gary Cartwright in the October 1972 issue.
In 1972, Rentzel authored a book about his professional football experiences and personal life entitled When All the Laughter Died in Sorrow.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong was named after him.[5]
Rentzel reportedly lives in Dallas, Texas, after living for several years in the Washington, D.C. area.