The former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lance Rentzel, whose career was wrecked when he pleaded guilty to exposing himself to a young girl, has died at the age of 82.
For a time, Rentzel was one of the most popular and talented players for the Cowboys and had a huge profile off the field. He was married to ’60s sex symbol Joey Heatherton, a TV presenter and even had a brief career in pop music, recording a single on Columbia Records in 1968.
But it all came crashing down two years later, when he pleaded guilty after being arrested for exposing himself to a 10-year-old girl at a playground in Minnesota. He had started his NFL career in the state after being drafted by the Vikings in 1965.
His guilty plea saw him escape jail time and his lawyers said he had been undergoing psychiatric treatment. He was sentenced to five years probation and mandatory psychiatric care.
The scandal saw him traded by the Cowboys in May 1971 to the Los Angeles Rams and Heatherton soon divorced him.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Rentzel once claimed that their split was not because of his actions but because of his ‘let’s-have-some-laughs-and-forget-it’ attitude to the situation.
Troubled former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lance Rentzel has died at the age of 82
After his split with wife Joey Heatherton, he briefly dated the actress Victoria Principal
The Cowboys moved him on to the Rams after his guilty plea, with the legendary head coach Tom Landry explaining: ‘We know we are giving up one of the top flankers in the league.
‘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.’
After his divorce, Rentzel had a short romance with actress Victoria Principal, who had previously dated Frank Sinatra.
He didn’t stay completely out of trouble in California, though.
He was convicted in 1973 for possession of marijuana and was banned by the NFL for 10 months.
Rentzel never recaptured his Cowboys form with the Rams and when he was placed on waivers in 1975, it ultimately led to his career coming to an end.
He was living in Virginia after his football career, the state where he died on June 7.