It is officially pardon season, and President Trump just added five former NFL players to the list.
The announcement came from his pardon czar, Alice Marie Johnson, who posted the news on X. The names are not exactly obscure in football circles: Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late Billy Cannon.
Johnson’s statement struck an unmistakably optimistic tone. “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,” she wrote. “As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation.”
She also thanked Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for personally sharing the news with Nate Newton, adding, “I’m holding Nate’s pardon in my hands today—what a blessed day.” Johnson credited President Trump for his “continued commitment to second chances,” saying, “Mercy changes lives.”
The pardons cover a range of offenses, some dating back decades.
Joe Klecko, a former New York Jets star and Pro Football Hall of Famer, pleaded guilty to perjury after lying to a federal grand jury investigating insurance fraud. Nate Newton, a six time Pro Bowler and two time All Pro offensive lineman, pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking charge after authorities discovered $10,000 in his truck and 175 pounds of marijuana in a vehicle traveling with him.
Jamal Lewis, who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens and was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2003, pleaded guilty in a drug case involving the use of a cellphone to attempt to set up a deal shortly after being drafted fifth overall in 2000. Travis Henry, a Pro Bowl running back, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine for financing a drug ring operating between Colorado and Montana.
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
Dallas Cowboys legend Nate Newton pardoned by Trump on federal drug trafficking charges pic.twitter.com/qSn6Hx4TsT
— Dallas Texas TV (@DallasTexasTV) February 13, 2026
Billy Cannon’s case goes back even further. The 1959 Heisman Trophy winner at LSU and former Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders player admitted to counterfeiting in the mid 1980s. His pardon was granted posthumously, as he passed away in 2018.
Since the start of his second term, President Trump has pardoned more than 1,500 individuals. Critics argue that some of these decisions are politically charged or too generous. Supporters counter that the Constitution gives the president broad clemency powers for a reason, and that redemption should not be reserved for the obscure.
What stands out in this round is the theme. These are high profile athletes who achieved greatness on the field, stumbled off it, and in many cases have long since served their sentences. Whether you view it as mercy, politics, or both, the message is clear. President Trump is using his clemency power aggressively, and he is not shy about it.
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