President Donald Trump loves football, and that is no secret. He has been to football games and tweeted multiple times about it.

Now he has also given a Presidential Pardon to five former NFL players. The pardons were announced by White House "pardon czar" Alice Marie Johnson.

"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. ...Grateful to @POTUS for his continued commitment to second chances. Mercy changes lives. 🙏🏽"

Joe Klecko is a 2023 Hall of Famer, drafted in 1977 by the New York Jets. He played 12 NFL seasons and is the only player in history who the NFL selected to the Pro Bowl at all three positions across the defensive line. Klecko pleaded guilty in 1993 to lying to a federal grand jury about an auto-insurance claim and served three months in prison for perjury.

Billy Cannon is one of the most accomplished NFL players with 2 Pro Bowl selections and 3 championships. He played 11 seasons for the Raiders, Oilers, and Chiefs, recording 236 catches for 3,656 yards and 65 TDs. He faced legal troubles when the federal authorities arrested him in 1983 for his role in a federal counterfeiting scheme. Cannon then served about three years in prison.

Jamal Lewis played 9 seasons for the Ravens and Browns, where he had 2,542 carries for 10,607 yards, 221 catches for 1,879 yards, and scored 62 touchdowns. He won 1 Offensive Player of the Year award and 1 championship. Coming to his legal woes, Authorities arrested the RB in 2004 on federal drug charges, and he served four months in prison.

Travis Henry played 7 seasons for the Bills, Titans, and Broncos. There, he had 1,488 carries for 6,086 yards, 141 catches for 951 yards, and scored 40 touchdowns. But he also got into legal trouble after he pleaded guilty in 2009 to conspiracy to traffic illegal substances.

Nate Newton played 13 seasons for the Cowboys and 1 for the Panthers. He played 198 regular-season games and won 3 NFL Championships with the Cowboys (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX). In 2002, he pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges after authorities found $10,000 in his truck and 175 pounds of illegal substances in a car driven by an accomplice.

Newton has also thanked President Donald Trump for the Presidential Pardon. "I would like to thank President Trump and all of those that work under him who put this Pardon into effect. Thank you Sir for taking time out of your busy day in running this country," he posted on X.

Do let us know what you think of this move by President Trump.

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Joyita Das