Lance Rentzel 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 . Early years . 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 , he was known for his open field speed and propensity for big plays rushing , receiving passes 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 , as well as 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 had 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 . Professional career . Minnesota Vikings . 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 due to 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 return ( 101 yards ) in franchise history which 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 . Dallas Cowboys . The Cowboys gave him a second chance and converted him to wide receiver , where he became not only an immediate starter but also one of the best NFL wideouts , leading the team in receptions from 1967 through 1969 and in receiving yards from 1968 through 1969 . He spent his prime seasons with the Cowboys , where he formed the best NFL wide receiver duo with hall of famer Bob Hayes . Of note , he starred in the " Ice Bowl , " scoring a fourth quarter , go - ahead touchdown negated by the Packers ' late winning TD drive . His best season came in 1968 , when he caught 54 receptions for 1 , 009 yards . In 1969 he had a career - high 12 touchdown receptions and 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 when as a Minnesota Viking in September 1966 , he was charged with exposing himself to two young girls in St . Paul , and pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of disorderly conduct . He was not sentenced , but merely ordered to seek psychiatric care . Because of the nationwide reaction and publicity from the 1970 scandal , Rentzel asked 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 Cowboys ' playoff drive to its narrow Super Bowl V loss to the Baltimore Colts on Jim O ' Brien ' s tie - breaking field goal with about half a minute to play . 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 Cowboys , Rentzel left as their fourth all - time wide receiver in addition to other franchise records : Los Angeles Rams . Although he led the Los Angeles Rams in receptions ( 38 ) in 1971 , he would never regain his previous high level of performance . After his second season with the Rams , Rentzel was suspended indefinitely by the league at the start of the 1973 season for conduct detrimental to the National Football League after being convicted of marijuana possession . He was reinstated in 1974 after a ten - month suspension . In August , before the start of the 1975 NFL season , the Rams put him on waivers , effectively ending his career . After playing in nine NFL seasons , he had accumulated 4 , 826 yards receiving , 196 yards rushing and 1 , 000 yards returning punts and kickoffs . He also had a perfect passer rating by completing his lone pass attempt for a 58 - yard touchdown . Criminal convictions . In November 1970 , Rentzel was arrested for to a 10 - year - old girl in , a suburb of Dallas . His wife , singer / actress Joey Heatherton , divorced him shortly thereafter . Four years earlier , as a Viking , a similar incident occurred on a Minnesota playground . He was charged with disorderly conduct in exchange for promising to seek psychiatric treatment . He was subsequently traded to the Dallas Cowboys . Preceding the 1971 season , the Cowboys traded him to the Rams for Billy Truax and Wendell Tucker . In 1973 , while on probation for the indecent exposure charge , he was arrested for possession of marijuana . NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle suspended him for the entire 1973 season , but allowed him to return for a final season with the Rams in 1974 before he retired . Personal life . Rentzel was one of three men credited with inspiring the eccentricities that surround " Media Day " at the Super Bowl . Then - " " 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 Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers with questions that ranged from clichéd to downright absurd . 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 . Rentzel is reportedly living in Dallas after several years in the Washington , D . C . area .