President Trump pardons 5 former NFL players including Jamal Lewis, Nate Newton, Joe Klecko for various crimes
- - President Trump pardons 5 former NFL players including Jamal Lewis, Nate Newton, Joe Klecko for various crimes
Ian CasselberryFebruary 13, 2026 at 8:49 PM
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President Donald Trump pardoned five former NFL players for various criminal convictions, including drug trafficking and perjury.
The players who received clemency were Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Joe Klecko, Travis Henry and the late Billy Cannon. White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson announced the decisions on social media.
"As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again," Johnson wrote in her post. "So is our nation."
"Grateful to @POTUS for his continued commitment to second chances," she added. "Mercy changes lives."
Johnson held up the pardon document for Newton in an accompanying photo, saying that Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones personally gave the news to the two-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler.
Today, the President granted pardons to five former NFL players—Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late great Dr. Billy Cannon.As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation.Special thanks… pic.twitter.com/Y4FC5lQwGE
— Alice Marie Johnson (@AliceMarieFree) February 13, 2026
Newton, who won three Super Bowl championships with the Cowboys during his 14 NFL seasons, pleaded guilty in 2001 to a federal drug trafficking charge after officers found 175 pounds of marijuana and $10,000 after searching his vehicle during a traffic stop. He was convicted and sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Lewis played for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, winning a Super Bowl and earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors during his nine-year career. He was named NFL offensive player of the year in 2003 after rushing for 2,066 yards. In 2004, Lewis pleaded guilty to a conspiring to possess charge for using a cellphone to set up a drug deal. He was sentenced to four months in prison.
Klecko was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023 for his 12-year NFL career, 11 of those seasons played with the New York Jets. He pleaded guilty to perjury in 1993 for lying to a federal grand jury that was investigating insurance fraud charges. Klecko served three months in federal prison.
Henry played for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos in seven NFL seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2002. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine in 2009. Henry was alleged to be the "money guy" in a cocaine trafficking ring from Colorado to Montana. He was eventually sentenced to three years in federal prison, but was released from custody after two.
Cannon was the NFL's No. 1 overall draft pick in 1960 out of LSU and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He was selected by the Los Angeles Rams, but played for the Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders in the AFL before ending his 11-year pro career with the Kansas City Chiefs. Cannon admitted to counterfeiting in 1983 after several bad real estate investments left him in debt. He served two and a half years in prison. Cannon died in 2018 at 80 years old.
Source: “AOL Sports”
