President Donald Trump pardoned former NFL players Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry and the late Billy Cannon on Thursday, according to White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson.
“As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation,” Johnson posted on social media. “Grateful to @POTUS for his continued commitment to second chances. Mercy changes lives.”
Johnson also wrote a special thanks to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for personally sharing the news with Newton.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Here are the five players Trump pardoned for crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking.
Joe Klecko
Klecko, 72, a member of the New York Jets’ famed “New York Sack Exchange” defensive line, was convicted in 1993 and sentenced to three months in prison on charges related to bankruptcy fraud tied to a business venture following his Hall of Fame career. The legal issue did not involve violence but stemmed from financial misconduct during a difficult post-football transition in which he lied about false car insurance claims.
On the field, Klecko had 20.5 sacks in the 1981 season (although the NFL did not officially recognize sacks as a statistic until 1982) and was considered one of the most versatile linemen in the 1970s and 1980s. Klecko, who totaled 78 sacks in his 12-year career, was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, two-time All-Pro pick and 2023 Hall of Fame inductee.
Nate Newton
Newton, 64, an offensive lineman who helped anchor three Super Bowl championships with the Cowboys, was arrested for drug-related offenses multiple times in the 1990s, including possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. The arrests came during and shortly after his playing career and overshadowed portions of his legacy.
Newton was a cornerstone of the Cowboys’ offensive line during their 1990s dynasty, earning six Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro selections during his 14 years in the league.
Nate Newton was a member of “The Great Wall of Dallas” that helped lead the Cowboys to Super Bowl titles in the 1992, 1993 and 1995 seasons.
Jamal Lewis
Lewis, 46, one of the league’s most powerful running backs during his prime, pleaded guilty in 2005 to using a cell phone to facilitate a drug transaction tied to a broader federal investigation. He served time in prison during the 2007 offseason, then returned to the NFL. Lewis rushed for 2,066 yards in 2003 with the Baltimore Ravens, the third-highest single-season total in league history.
In the 2000 season, he won a Super Bowl with the Ravens. The one-time All-Pro played nine seasons in the league.
Travis Henry
Henry, 47, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three different seasons, was sentenced in 2009 to three years in prison on federal cocaine trafficking charges after authorities linked him to financing and distributing large quantities of the drug. His legal troubles ended a seven-year career once marked by consistent production during the early-to-mid 2000s.
Henry, a one-time Pro Bowler, played for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos.
Billy Cannon played in the AFL and NFL after winning the 1959 Heisman Trophy at LSU.
Billy Cannon
Cannon, a 1959 Heisman Trophy winner with LSU, pleaded guilty in 1983 to his role in a large-scale counterfeiting operation involving millions of dollars in fake currency. He served three years in federal prison before later becoming a dentist. Cannon, who played halfback, remains one of college football’s most iconic players, and later played in the AFL and NFL, where he was a two-time All-Pro during his 11 year-career.
His Halloween punt return against Ole Miss is one of the most famous plays in college football history. Cannon, who was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, died in 2018 at age 80.
