Donald Trump pardoned five former NFL players on Thursday, clearing federal convictions that ranged from perjury to drug trafficking. White House pardon adviser Alice Marie Johnson announced the decision on social media.
It covered Hall of Famer Joe Klecko, three-time Super Bowl champion Nate Newton, former AP Offensive Player of the Year Jamal Lewis, Pro Bowler Travis Henry, and Billy Cannon, who died in 2018.
None of them were in prison, but the convictions had followed them after their playing careers ended.
Donald Trump pardons 5 ex-NFL players for crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking
Newton’s drug trafficking conviction stemmed from a 2001 bust in Louisiana where authorities found 213 pounds of marijuana in his van. Six weeks later, while out on bond, DEA agents caught him again, but with 175 pounds of weed in an accompanying vehicle and $10,000 cash in his pickup. The six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro guard pleaded guilty in 2002 and served 30 months in federal prison.
Aug 4, 2023; Canton, OH, USA; New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts former defensive lineman Joe Klecko reacts during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket dinner at Canton Civic Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 4, 2023; Canton, OH, USA; New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts former defensive lineman Joe Klecko reacts during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket dinner at Canton Civic Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Henry financed a cocaine ring that moved product between Colorado and Montana. Arrested in September 2008 during an undercover sting, the former Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos running back pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine.
He faced up to life in prison but got three years after a federal judge called him a minor player who’d been ensnared by a cousin. The 2002 Pro Bowler struggled with child support payments for nine children with nine different women at the time of his arrest.
Lewis used his cell phone to arrange a drug deal shortly after Baltimore selected him fifth overall in the 2000 draft. The 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year served four months in prison after pleading guilty.
Trump pardons 5 ex-NFL players — including Jets legend Joe Klecko — for crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking https://t.co/rCKls3uT0k pic.twitter.com/jaV5leBP4O
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) February 13, 2026
Klecko, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023, pleaded guilty to perjury in 1993 for lying to a federal grand jury investigating insurance fraud. The former New York Jets defensive tackle played 11 seasons before the conviction affected his life after football.
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Cannon pleaded guilty to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after failed investments left him in financial trouble. He had previously played for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders, and Kansas City Chiefs.
Johnson said Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, personally told Newton about the pardon. He thanked Trump for granting the pardons, who said football “reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again.”