Late Breaking: Trump Pardons 5 Ex-NFL Players for Multiple Crimes
President Donald Trump granted clemency to five former NFL players—Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and Billy Cannon (the latter posthumously)—for offenses ranging from perjury to drug trafficking and counterfeiting.The pardons were announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson, who emphasized second chances, and she said Jerry Jones personally relayed the news to Newton. The White House did not provide a comment on the rationale for the pardons.
Klecko, a former New York Jets star, pleaded guilty to perjury in a federal grand jury probe of insurance fraud; he later was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2023), and earned two AP All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowls. newton, a Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman, pleaded guilty to a federal drug-trafficking charge after authorities found $10,000 in his pickup and 175 pounds of marijuana in another car; he was a two-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler. Lewis, who played for the Ravens and Browns, pleaded guilty in a drug case involving using a cellphone to arrange a drug deal; he was named an All-pro once and a Pro Bowler, and won the 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year. Henry, a Broncos running back, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine to finance a drug ring; he played for three teams and was a one-time Pro Bowler. Cannon, who played for the Oilers, Raiders and Chiefs, admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s; he was a two-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler, and he won the 1959 Heisman Trophy at LSU before his football career.
The article notes it is an Associated Press report republished by The Western Journal and includes standard editorial-disclaimer language.
President Donald Trump on Thursday pardoned five former professional football players — one posthumously — for various crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking.
The pardons were announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson. Ex-NFL players Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry and the late Billy Cannon were granted the clemency.
“As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation,” Johnson wrote on the social media site X, as she thanked Trump for his “continued commitment to second chances.”
Johnson said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones “personally” d the news with Newton, who won three Super Bowls with the team.
The White House did not return a request for comment Thursday night on why Trump, an avid sports fan, pardoned the players.
Klecko, a former star for the New York Jets, pleaded guilty to perjury after lying to a federal grand jury that was investigating insurance fraud.
A defensive lineman, Klecko was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. He was a two-time Associated Press All-Pro player and a four-time Pro Bowler.
Newton, an offensive lineman, pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking charge after authorities discovered $10,000 in his pickup truck as well as 175 pounds of marijuana in an accompanying car driven by another man.
Newton was a two-time All-Pro player and six-time Pro Bowler.
Lewis, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns, pleaded guilty in a drug case in which he used a cellphone to try to set up a drug deal not long after he was a top pick in the 2000 NFL draft.
Lewis, a running back, was named an All-Pro once and was a one-time Pro Bowler. He was named the 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year.
Henry, who played for the Denver Broncos, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine for financing a drug ring that moved the drug between Colorado and Montana. He was a running back for three teams and a one-time Pro Bowler.
And Cannon — who played with the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs — admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments and debts left him broke.
Cannon was a two-time All-Pro player and a two-time Pro Bowler.
Cannon also won the 1959 Heisman Trophy while starring for Louisiana State University, where he had one of the most memorable plays in college football history: an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown against Ole Miss. He died in 2018.
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
