"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 $10,000 in his pickup truck as well as 175 pounds of marijuana in an accompanying car driven by another man."
"As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation, Johnson wrote on the social media site X, as she thanked Trump for his continued commitment to second chances."
"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."
President Donald Trump pardoned five former NFL players, including one posthumously: Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late Billy Cannon. The pardons were announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson, who praised grit and second chances on social media. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones personally told Newton the news. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the pardons. Klecko pleaded guilty to perjury related to insurance fraud and is a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Newton, Lewis, and Henry each pleaded guilty to drug-related offenses; Lewis was the 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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