The president has already pardoned many since his second term started. But this is making headlines.
And Americans are stunned at who President Trump just pardoned.
President Donald Trump delivered a powerful message of redemption on Thursday by granting pardons to five former NFL stars who had faced serious legal troubles, from drug-related offenses to counterfeiting schemes.
The pardons were revealed by Trump’s pardon czar, Alice Marie Johnson, who spotlighted the stories of these gridiron legends.
Among them were Hall of Famer Joe Klecko from the New York Jets, the late Billy Cannon of the Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys standout Nate Newton, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis, and Buffalo Bills’ Travis Henry.
Johnson captured the spirit of the moment perfectly, saying, “As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation.” She went on to express her appreciation, adding, “Grateful [President Trump] for his continued commitment to second chances. Mercy changes lives.”
In a personal touch, Johnson gave a shoutout to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for breaking the good news to Nate Newton himself. It’s gestures like these that show the human side of these high-profile decisions.
Every one of these former players had already done their time behind bars, making Trump’s pardons a clean slate that wipes away the stains on their records.
Take Joe Klecko, a key member of the Jets’ fearsome “New York Sack Exchange” defensive line in the early 1980s. He ended up serving three months in prison back in the early 1990s for perjury in front of a federal grand jury amid an insurance fraud probe.
Then there’s Billy Cannon, the 1959 Heisman Trophy winner from LSU, who passed away in 2018 at age 80. Cannon got caught up in a massive counterfeiting operation in 1983, one of the biggest in U.S. history at that point. He served three years out of a five-year sentence before earning release for good behavior.
Nate Newton, a three-time Super Bowl champ with the Cowboys during their dominant 1990s era, had his share of run-ins with the law. First arrested in 1991 over claims of organizing illegal dog fights, he later faced a major bust ten years later when cops found $10,000 in cash and 175 pounds of marijuana linked to him.
Newton smartly took a plea deal that landed him 30 months in prison instead of risking up to 20 years.
Jamal Lewis, who burst onto the scene as a rookie helping the Ravens clinch Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, held the record as the youngest player in Super Bowl history. Drafted fifth overall in 2000, he got tangled in a drug deal setup shortly after, leading to a 2005 conviction.
Lewis served four months on those drug charges after a plea deal dropped heavier accusations like drug conspiracy and attempted cocaine possession.
Travis Henry, drafted by the Bills in 2001 and later suiting up for the Titans and Broncos, hit rock bottom after retirement. Busted by the DEA, he pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking conspiracy and got three years in federal prison.
These pardons come amid Trump’s bold approach to clemency, which has stirred debate but also won praise for challenging unfair treatments in the justice system.
