{{Short description|American football player (born 1999)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Dennis Houston | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | current_team = Tampa Bay Buccaneers | number = 89 | position = Wide receiver | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|4|24}} | birth_place = Fort Hood, Texas, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 190 | high_school = Earl Warren {{avoid wrap|(San Antonio, Texas)}} | college = Houston Baptist (2017)<br>Fullerton (2018)<br>Western Illinois (2019–2021) | undraftedyear = 2022 | pastteams = * Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|2022}}) * New York Giants ({{NFL Year|2023}})* * Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|2024}}–present)* | status = Active | highlights = * Third-team FCS All-American (2021) * 2× First-team All-MVFC (2020, 2021) | statleague = NFL | statseason = 2024 | statweek = | statlabel1 = Receptions | statvalue1 = 2 | statlabel2 = Receiving yards | statvalue2 = 16 | statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns | statvalue3 = | pfr = HousDe01 }}
'''Dennis Houston''' (born April 24, 1999) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Baptist Huskies, Fullerton Hornets and Western Illinois Leathernecks.
==Early life== Houston grew up in San Antonio, Texas and attended Earl Warren High School.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zuvanich |first=Adam |date=January 6, 2017 |title=Motherly love helps Houston shine as senior |url=https://www.expressnews.com/sports/high_school/high_school_football/article/Motherly-love-helps-Houston-shine-as-senior-10839799.php |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=San Antonio Express-News}}</ref>
==College career== Houston began his college football career at Houston Baptist. He caught 33 passes for 362 yards as a freshman. After the season, Houston transferred to Fullerton College and had 360 receiving yards and three touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clements |first=Brandon |date=August 7, 2022 |title=Cowboys wide receiver room has been hampered by injuries, but an unexpected name has stepped up |url=https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2022/8/7/23295082/dallas-cowboys-wide-receiver-room-hampered-by-injuries-unexpected-name-has-stepped-up-dennis-houston |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=BloggingTheBoys.com |publisher=SB Nation}}</ref> He then transferred to Western Illinois for his remaining collegiate eligibility.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eatman |first=Nick |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Role Call: WR Houston Trying To Make It In Dallas |url=https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/role-call-wr-houston-trying-to-make-it-in-dallas |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=DallasCowboys.com}}</ref>
As a junior, he led the team with 539 receiving yards on 36 catches and scored three touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 6, 2021 |title=New-look defense gives Western hope for turning over a new leaf |url=https://www.chicagonow.com/prairie-state-pigskin/2021/03/new-look-defense-gives-western-hope-for-turning-over-a-new-leaf/ |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=ChicagoNow |archive-date=April 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417181129/https://www.chicagonow.com/prairie-state-pigskin/2021/03/new-look-defense-gives-western-hope-for-turning-over-a-new-leaf/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
As a senior, he was named first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) after leading the team with 43 receptions and 477 receiving yards with two touchdowns during the spring 2021 season, which was delayed from the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 27, 2021 |title=Houston leads the way for WIU on All-MVFC team |url=https://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/story/sports/2021/07/27/western-illinois-football/5385300001/ |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=The McDonough County Voice}}</ref>
As a fifth-year senior, Houston caught 90 passes for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns and was again named first-team All-MVFC.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cowlishaw |first=Tim |date=August 4, 2022 |title=In one year, Cowboys WR room morphed from a trio of potential 1,000-yarders to uncertainty |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/cowboys/2022/08/04/in-one-year-cowboys-wr-room-morphed-from-a-trio-of-potential-1000-yarders-to-uncertainty/ |access-date=August 28, 2022 |website=The Dallas Morning News}}</ref>
==Professional career== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 1 1/8 | weight = 198 | dash = 4.49 | ten split = 1.55 | twenty split = 2.69 | shuttle = 4.35 | cone drill = 7.17 | vertical = 39.0 | broad ft = 10 | broad in = 4 | bench = 19 | arm span = 31 5/8 | hand span = 8 5/8 | wingspan ft = 6 | wingspan in = 3 1/2 | wonderlic = | note = All values from Pro Day<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Draft Scout Dennis Houston, Western Illinois NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1003939&DraftYear=2022 |access-date=September 12, 2022 |website=DraftScout.com}}</ref> }}
===Dallas Cowboys=== Houston was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2022 NFL draft on May 3.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 3, 2022 |title=Cowboys' Dennis Houston: Signs in Dallas |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/cowboys-dennis-houston-signs-in-dallas/ |access-date=August 28, 2022 |website=CBS Sports |publisher=RotoWire}}</ref> During training camp, he took advantage of injuries to wide receivers Michael Gallup and James Washington to pass third-round draft choice Jalen Tolbert on the depth chart.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ryan |first=Nate |date=August 30, 2022 |title=San Antonio native Dennis Houston makes Cowboys 53-man roster |url=https://www.kens5.com/article/sports/nfl/cowboys/dallas-cowboys-dennis-houston-nfl-undrafted-sports-football/273-63ca4229-2c02-4c20-baf7-87e4bb65e712 |access-date=August 31, 2022 |website=KENS5.com}}</ref> The Cowboys gave him a chance to grow his role on the team during the first two games of the season. He recorded two receptions for 16 yards. He was waived on September 20 and re-signed to the practice squad.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alper |first=Josh |date=September 20, 2022 |title=Cowboys waive Dennis Houston |url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/20/cowboys-waive-dennis-houston/ |access-date=March 18, 2023 |website=Pro Football Talk |publisher=NBC Sports}}</ref> He signed a reserve/future contract on January 25, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 25, 2023 |title=Cowboys' Dennis Houston: Sticks with Dallas |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/cowboys-dennis-houston-sticks-with-dallas/ |access-date=March 18, 2023 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en}}</ref> He was waived on August 29, 2023.<ref name="t230">{{cite web | last=Harris | first=Nick | title=Cowboys announce 36 roster moves ahead of regular season | website=DallasCowboys.com| date=2023-08-29 | url=https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/cowboys-announce-36-roster-moves-ahead-of-regular-season | access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref>
===New York Giants=== On August 31, 2023, Houston was signed to the New York Giants practice squad.<ref>{{cite web|title=Giants fill out practice squad in series of roster moves|url=https://www.giants.com/news/new-york-giants-roster-practice-squad-jaylon-thomas-dennis-houston|author=Eisen, Michael|website=Giants.com|date=August 31, 2023}}</ref> Following the end of the regular season, the Giants signed him to a reserve/future contract on January 8, 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.giants.com/news/giants-sign-10-players-to-reserve-future-contracts-2024-joe-schoen|title=Giants sign 10 players to reserve/future contracts|date=January 8, 2024|accessdate=January 9, 2024|work=Giants.com}}</ref> Houston was waived with an injury settlement by the Giants on August 20.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Benton |first1=Dan |title=Giants sign Clayton Isbell, waive Dennis Houston |url=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/2024/08/20/new-york-giants-sign-clayton-isbell-waive-dennis-houston/ |website=Giants Wire |access-date=21 August 2024}}</ref>
===Tampa Bay Buccaneers=== On October 23, 2024, Houston signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers's practice squad.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bucs Promote WR Ryan Miller, P Trenton Gill Among Series of Moves|url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/bucs-promote-ryan-miller-chris-godwin-ir-among-series-moves|author=Smith, Scott|website=Buccaneers.com|date=October 23, 2024}}</ref> He signed a reserve/future contract with the Buccaneers on January 14, 2025.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bucs Re-Sign 17 Practice Squad Players to 2025 Futures Deals|url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/bucs-re-sign-full-practice-squad-2025-futures-deals|author=Smith, Scott|website=Buccaneers.com|date=January 14, 2025}}</ref>
On August 26, 2025, Houston was waived by the Buccaneers as part of final roster cuts and re-signed to the practice squad the next day.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Scott |title=Bucs Load Up in the Trenches on First Practice Squad of 2025 |url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/bucs-load-trenches-first-practice-squad-2025 |website=Buccaneers.com |access-date=1 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Scott |title=Kyle Trask, Trey Palmer Among Cuts as Bucs Get Roster Down to 53 |url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/kyle-trask-trey-palmer-among-cuts-bucs-get-roster-down-53 |website=Buccaneers.com |access-date=27 August 2025}}</ref> On January 8, 2026, he signed a reserve/futures contract with Tampa Bay.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Scott |title=Bucs Sign 14 Players to Futures Contracts for 2026 Season |url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/bucs-sign-14-players-futures-contracts-2026-season |website=Buccaneers.com |access-date=9 January 2026}}</ref>
==Legal issues== Houston and another football player were charged with aggravated sexual assault during his freshman season at Houston Baptist in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arnold |first=Robert |date=December 7, 2017 |title=Former Warren football player accused of sexual assault |url=https://www.ksat.com/news/2017/12/07/former-warren-football-player-accused-of-sexual-assault/ |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=KSAT.com}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://hcuhuskies.com/sports/football/roster/dennis-houston/3414 Houston Baptist Huskies bio] *[https://www.fchornets.com/sports/fball/2018-19/bios/houston_dennis_tk4o Fullerton Hornets bio] *[https://goleathernecks.com/sports/football/roster/dennis-houston/19420 Western Illinois Leathernecks bio]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Dennis}} Category:1999 births Category:Living people Category:American football wide receivers Category:Players of American football from San Antonio Category:Western Illinois Leathernecks football players Category:Dallas Cowboys players Category:Houston Christian Huskies football players Category:Fullerton Hornets football players Category:New York Giants players Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players