Former Cowboys wide receiver Lance Rentzel dies at 82

Lance Rentzel, a former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver whose brilliant NFL career was overshadowed by personal scandal, died on June 7 in Alexandria, Virginia. He was 82.

Rentzel played nine seasons in the NFL, from 1965 to 1974, for the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Rams. A second-round draft pick out of the University of Oklahoma, he made an immediate impact as a rookie by returning a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown, a Vikings franchise record that stood until 2007.

His career flourished after a 1967 trade to Dallas. Playing alongside Hall of Famer Bob Hayes, Rentzel became one of the league's premier deep threats. Between 1967 and 1969, he totaled 2,965 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns. His 1969 season was a career highlight, as he led the NFL with 12 touchdown receptions and earned All-Pro honors. One of his most memorable plays came in the 1967 NFL Championship Game, known as the "Ice Bowl," when he caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Dan Reeves to briefly give Dallas the lead over the Green Bay Packers.

Off the field, Rentzel's life was marked by high-profile celebrity and profound personal struggles. In 1969, he married entertainer Joey Heatherton....