United States President Donald Trump officially pardoned five former NFL players, including several who previously served prison sentences for drug-related offenses, on Thursday night.
White House “pardon czar” Alice Marie Johnson announced the pardons of Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and Billy Cannon. None of the four living men are currently incarcerated, and Cannon — a former All-American and the No. 1 pick in the 1960 NFL Draft — died in May 2018.
“As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again,” Johnson wrote on X. “So is our nation.”
Johnson said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones personally notified Newton, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Cowboys, of his pardon. None of the four living players had publicly commented on their pardons as of publication.
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
The White House had not disclosed a reason for the pardons as of Friday morning. Trump previously pardoned former New York Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry on tax evasion and drug charges in November.
Newton, a six-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro, received a 30-month federal prison sentence in 2002 for drug trafficking. Police stopped Newton twice within a six-week span in 2001, finding a combined 388 pounds of marijuana. Authorities also found $10,000 in his pickup truck during the December 2001 stop.
Klecko pleaded guilty to perjury in 1993 after lying to a federal grand jury regarding insurance fraud. He received a three-month prison sentence. The Jets retired Klecko’s No. 73 in December 2004, and he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. Klecko is also a member of the Jets’ Ring of Honor.
Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons will always be linked in football history as members of the New York Sack Exchange.
They’ll also be linked for today, when Lyons is serving as his @nyjets teammate’s Hall of Fame Presenter. pic.twitter.com/C1wgNuxN6O
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) August 5, 2023
Lewis, the No. 5 pick in 2000, served four months in federal prison after reaching a plea agreement in a drug case. He was charged with using a cellphone with the intent to distribute five kilograms of cocaine. Lewis remains the Ravens’ all-time leader in rushing yards (7,801) and rushing touchdowns (45). He is one of only nine players to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a season, and his 2,066 yards in 2003 rank third all-time.
Henry, a standout running back with the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, served two years in federal prison for financing a cocaine trafficking operation. Prior to his legal issues, Henry had three seasons with at least 1,200 rushing yards.
Cannon served 2½ years of a five-year federal prison sentence for his role in a counterfeiting scheme. A successful dentist before his legal troubles, Cannon regained his license and later became the resident dentist at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Neither the NFL nor Commissioner Roger Goodell had addressed the pardons as of Friday morning.
