A well-traveled receiver whose dominant senior year at Western Illinois still outweighs his sparse NFL playing time.
Dennis Houston has spent his pro career on the fringes of NFL rosters, bouncing between practice squads since going undrafted in 2022. Now with Tampa Bay, he brings the polish of a decorated FCS career and the grit of a player who has fought for every rep since leaving college.
Path to the league
Houston's college path wound through three schools: Houston Baptist as a freshman, a stop at Fullerton College, and finally Western Illinois, where he became a star. He went unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft and signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent that May.
Career highlights
In his final season at Western Illinois in 2021, Houston caught 90 passes for 1,015 yards and 6 touchdowns, earning first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors for the second straight year and third-team FCS All-American recognition. He has since spent time on rosters with the Cowboys, Giants, and Buccaneers.
2025 season recap
Houston spent the 2025 season on Tampa Bay's practice squad after joining the team in October 2024. He has yet to appear in a regular-season game for the Buccaneers, with his only NFL action still coming from two games with Dallas in 2022. Tampa Bay signed him to a reserve/future contract for 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Dennis Houston
- Pro Football Reference: Dennis Houston
Statistics
2025 season and career▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | cowboys | 2 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 11 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Western Illinois
- Hometown
- San Antonio, TX, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
