President Donald Trump has pardoned five former NFL players for crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking. The clemency, announced by White House pardon attorney Alice Marie Johnson, includes one posthumous pardon for Billy Cannon, who died in 2018. All recipients had previously served prison sentences, and the pardons clear their criminal records.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump issued pardons to five former professional football players, as announced by his pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson. The recipients are Joe Klecko, a Hall of Fame defensive tackle for the New York Jets; Nate Newton, an offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys; Jamal Lewis, a running back for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens; Travis Henry, a running back for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and Denver Broncos; and Billy Cannon, a halfback for the Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders who passed away in 2018.
Johnson highlighted the theme of redemption in her statement on social media: "As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation." She expressed gratitude to Trump for his "continued commitment to second chances," adding, "Mercy changes lives." Johnson also noted that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones personally informed Newton of the pardon.
Each player had served time for their offenses. Klecko, part of the Jets' 1980s "New York Sack Exchange" defensive line, served three months in the early 1990s for perjury during an insurance fraud investigation. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023 and was a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler.
Cannon, the 1959 Heisman Trophy winner at Louisiana State University, was convicted in 1983 for involvement in a major counterfeiting scheme. He served three years of a five-year sentence and died at age 80.
Newton, a three-time Super Bowl champion and six-time Pro Bowler, served 30 months after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges in 2001, following the discovery of marijuana and cash during a traffic stop.
Lewis, who contributed to the Ravens' Super Bowl XXXV victory in 2001 and was the 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year, served four months in 2005 for a drug-related offense shortly after being drafted fifth overall in 2000.
Henry, a one-time Pro Bowler, received three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to cocaine trafficking conspiracy post-retirement.
The White House did not comment on the reasons for the pardons. This action follows Trump's December pardon of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, convicted of aiding drug smugglers, which drew controversy.
