President Donald Trump, himself a convicted felon, has issued pardons to five former NFL players, including one who is already deceased. Their crimes covered offences from courtroom deception to major drug crimes. The clemency decisions were announced Thursday by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson. In a post on X, she wrote: “As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation.” Former New York Jets standout Joe Klecko received relief after admitting to lying under oath to a federal grand jury probing an insurance fraud scheme. Klecko later entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. Dallas Cowboys lineman Nate Newton, a three-time Super Bowl winner, was pardoned following a conviction tied to marijuana trafficking. Johnson said owner Jerry Jones delivered the news personally. Jamal Lewis, once a top 2000 draft pick, pleaded guilty after using a cellphone to arrange a drug deal. Travis Henry admitted involvement in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Billy Cannon, pardoned posthumously, confessed to counterfeiting and died in 2018.
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