Washington– Washington (AFP) – President Donald Trump On Thursday, the American soccer player pardoned five former professional soccer players, one of whom died posthumously, for various crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking.
The pardon was announced by White House clemency czar Alice Marie Johnson. Former NFL players Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamaal Lewis, Travis Henry and the late Billy Cannon received clemency.
“As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, agility, and the courage to rise again. And so does our nation,” Johnson wrote on the social media site X. She thanked Trump for his “continued commitment to second chances.”
Johnson said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shared the news “personally” with Newton, who won three Super Bowls with the team.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment Thursday night about the reason for Trump’s comments. sports lover, Sorry guys.
Klecko, the former New York Jets star, pleaded guilty to perjury after lying to a federal grand jury that was investigating insurance fraud. Klecko, a defensive lineman, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. He was a two-time Associated Press All-Pro 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 escort vehicle driven by another man. Newton was a two-time All-Pro and a six-time All-Pro.
Lewis, who formerly played for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, pleaded guilty to a drug case in which he used a cellphone to attempt a drug deal shortly after he was selected as the top pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Lewis, a running back, was named an All-Pro once and was a two-time All-Pro. He was named the 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year.
Henry, who played for the Denver Broncos, pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic cocaine to fund a drug network that moved drugs between Colorado and Montana. He was a three-team runner and a one-time Pro Bowler.
Cannon – who played for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs – admitted to fraud in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments and debts bankrupted him.
Cannon was a two-time All-Pro and a two-time All-Pro. Cannon also won the 1959 Heisman Trophy while starring at 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. He died in 2018.
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Anderson reported from Las Vegas.