WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump pardoned five former NFL players, including a former Cleveland Browns star, for various crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking, according to the Associated Press (AP).
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White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson announced on social media Thursday that Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late Billy Cannon were granted pardons.
“As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation,” Johnson wrote in part in a social media post.
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Lewis, a former running back for the Browns and Baltimore Ravens, previously pleaded guilty in a drug case. The AP reported he used a cellphone to try to set up a drug deal not long after becoming a top 10 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Lewis played three seasons in Cleveland, joining the Browns in 2007 after seven seasons in Baltimore.
He was named an All-Pro once and made it to the Pro Bowl once.
In 2003, he was named the AP Offensive Player of the Year.
Lewis retired after the 2009 season, ending his career with 10,607 career rushing yards and 58 rushing touchdowns, according to ESPN.
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