President Donald Trump has granted pardons to five former NFL players, including one who died years ago, for crimes ranging from perjury and counterfeiting to drug trafficking.
The pardoned players are Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late Billy Cannon, all of whom had high‑profile careers in the league before legal issues clouded their records.
The announcement came late Thursday from Alice Marie Johnson, the White House pardon chief, who posted the news on social media and praised Trump for giving people "second chances," according to NBC News.
Klecko, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who played for the New York Jets, was convicted in the 1990s for perjury after lying to a federal grand jury about insurance fraud. Newton, a longtime offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys, pleaded guilty to a federal drug‑trafficking charge after law enforcement found 175 pounds of marijuana in a vehicle tied to him and $10,000 in cash.
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Lewis, a former running back for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, admitted to a conspiracy charge related to using a cellphone to set up a drug deal soon after entering the league. Henry, who played for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and Denver Broncos, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine in a scheme that moved drugs between Colorado and Montana, ABC News.
Cannon, best known for winning the Heisman Trophy at LSU and later playing in the NFL, was convicted in the 1980s of counterfeiting as part of a scheme tied to financial troubles. His pardon was granted posthumously, more than eight years after his death in 2018.
The White House has not publicly explained why Trump chose these five athletes, though Trump has long been a vocal sports fan and has used pardons to highlight what he frames as fair second chances. Legal and advocacy groups have welcomed some of the grants but have also renewed calls for clearer, more consistent standards for who receives clemency, as per CBS News.
