On Thursday, former President Donald Trump granted pardons to five former professional football players, including one posthumously, for crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking.

The pardons were revealed by Alice Marie Johnson, known as the White House pardon advisor.

The recipients of the clemency include ex-NFL athletes Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late Billy Cannon.

Johnson shared her thoughts on social media platform X, noting, “Football teaches us that excellence is forged through resilience, grace, and the courage to overcome—qualities that also define our nation.” She expressed gratitude to Trump for his “ongoing dedication to offering second chances.”

Johnson revealed that Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, delivered the news personally to Newton, who boasts three Super Bowl victories with the team.

As of Thursday night, the White House had not responded to inquiries about Trump’s decision to pardon these players, despite his well-known enthusiasm for sports.

Klecko, a former star for the New York Jets, pleaded guilty to perjury after lying to a federal grand jury that was investigating insurance fraud.

A defensive lineman, Klecko was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

He was a two-time Associated Press All-Pro player and a four-time Pro Bowler.

Newton, an offensive lineman, pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking charge after authorities discovered US$14,000 in his pickup truck as well as 80kg of marijuana in an accompanying car driven by another man.

Newton was a two-time All-Pro player and six-time Pro Bowler.

Lewis, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns, pleaded guilty in a drug case in which he used a cellphone to try to set up a drug deal not long after he was a top pick in the 2000 NFL draft.

Lewis, a running back, was named an All-Pro once and was a one-time Pro Bowler.

He was named the 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year.

Henry, who played for the Denver Broncos, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine for financing a drug ring that moved the drug between Colorado and Montana.

He was a running back for three teams and a one-time Pro Bowler.

And Cannon, who played with the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments and debts left him broke.

Cannon was a two-time All-Pro player and a two-time Pro Bowler.

Cannon also won the 1959 Heisman Trophy while starring for Louisiana State University, where he had one of the most memorable plays in college football history: an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown against Ole Miss.

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