President Donald Trump issued pardons Thursday for five former NFL players, highlighting what supporters say is his continued commitment to second chances and redemption.
The former players granted clemency are Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late Billy Cannon. The announcement was made by Trump’s pardon czar, Alice Marie Johnson, in a post on the social platform X.
“As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again,” Johnson wrote. “So is our nation.”
Johnson noted that Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones personally informed Newton of the decision. Newton, a former offensive lineman for the Cowboys, served 30 months in prison beginning in 2002 after a federal drug trafficking conviction. Now 64, Newton has remained involved with the Cowboys organization since his release, appearing at team events and in media engagements, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Billy Cannon, a College Football Hall of Famer who died in 2018, also received a posthumous pardon. Cannon served 2 1/2 years in prison after admitting in 1983 to participating in a counterfeiting scheme. A standout player, Cannon competed in the NFL for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders, and Kansas City Chiefs, earning two All-Pro selections and two Pro Bowl honors, according to ESPN.
Joe Klecko, a former defensive lineman for the New York Jets, was sentenced to three months in prison after being convicted of perjury in an insurance fraud case. Klecko was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
Jamal Lewis, who played running back for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, was charged in 2004 for attempting to set up a drug deal. Lewis won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2001.
Travis Henry, a former running back for the Buffalo Bills, pleaded guilty in 2009 to conspiracy to traffic cocaine. He was sentenced to three years in prison for financially backing a drug ring.
“Grateful to @POTUS for his continued commitment to second chances,” Johnson wrote in a follow-up post. “Mercy changes lives.”
Johnson’s own story is closely tied to Trump’s clemency efforts. She was serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense when Trump commuted her sentence during his first term after a petition from reality television star Kim Kardashian. In February, Trump appointed her as pardon czar.
During his first term, Trump approved 238 clemency requests, according to Pew Research. Former President Barack Obama granted 1,927, while former President Joe Biden issued 4,245 clemency grants — the highest number of any prior president.
Trump’s use of clemency has at times drawn controversy. During his second term, he granted roughly 1,500 pardons connected to individuals tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
With Thursday’s announcement, the president again placed a spotlight on redemption and rehabilitation, extending clemency to former professional athletes whose legal troubles once overshadowed their accomplishments on the field.
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