Trump Pardons Include Klecko, Newton, Lewis

Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump on Thursday granted full pardons to five former National Football League standouts—Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late Billy Cannon—each of whom had previously pleaded guilty to federal offenses ranging from perjury to drug trafficking and counterfeiting.

The announcement came via Alice Marie Johnson, the White House’s designated “pardon czar,” who praised the president’s “continued commitment to second chances.” In a social-media post, Johnson invoked football’s larger ethos, writing, “As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation.”

Johnson noted that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones “personally” relayed news of the pardon to Newton, a six-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman who won three Super Bowls with the franchise. Newton had pleaded guilty in 2002 after authorities found $10,000 in his pickup and 175 pounds of marijuana in a companion vehicle.

Klecko, the bruising New York Jets defensive tackle inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023, received his pardon for a 1993 perjury conviction tied to an insurance-fraud investigation. A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time Associated Press All-Pro, Klecko’s on-field résumé had long been celebrated; the pardon effectively closes the book on his lone off-field blemish.

Jamal Lewis, the fifth overall selection in the 2000 draft who earned 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year honors, pleaded guilty after using a cellphone to facilitate a drug transaction early in his career. Thursday’s action wipes the federal conviction from the former Ravens and Browns running back’s record.

Travis Henry, a one-time Pro Bowl running back who financed a multi-state cocaine ring between Colorado and Montana, was pardoned for his 2009 conspiracy conviction. Henry played for three franchises during an injury-shortened career.

Billy Cannon, who died in 2018, was granted a posthumous pardon for a mid-1980s counterfeiting scheme undertaken after a series of failed investments left him bankrupt. The 1959 Heisman Trophy winner at LSU had gone on to become a two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler for the Houston Oilers, Raiders, and Chiefs.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment Thursday night regarding the specific factors that prompted the president to issue the pardons. Trump, an avid sports fan, previously pardoned former New York Mets star Darryl Strawberry in November for tax evasion and drug-related offenses.