00:00President Trump is making headlines in both the political and the sports world today.
00:05Now, in a move announced late Thursday, the president granted full pardons to five former NFL stars,
00:11including a legendary member of the New York Jets' New York SAC Exchange.
00:15Now, these pardons cover past crimes ranging from perjury to federal drugs trafficking.
00:21Now, leading the list is New York Jets icon Joe Klecko.
00:24The Hall of Fame defensive lineman, who is now 72 years old, had a 1993 perjury conviction wiped from his
00:32record.
00:32That charge stemmed from Klecko lying to a federal grand jury during an insurance fraud investigation involving a body shop.
00:41Now, the announcement came via White House pardons czar Elise Marie Johnson, who said on social media,
00:47as football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again.
00:52Now, the list also includes Nate Newton, three-time Super Bowl champ with the Dallas Cowboys.
00:58Newton was convicted in 2002 for trafficking over 175 pounds of marijuana.
01:04Jamal Lewis, the former Ravens star and 2,000-yard rusher who served time for a 2004 drug conspiracy charge.
01:13Travis Henry, a former Bills and Broncos running back who had a 2009 conviction for cocaine trafficking.
01:19And Billy Cannon, won a Heisman Trophy in college and was a Houston Oilers great.
01:25He died back in 2018.
01:27Now, his pardon clears a mid-1980s counterfeiting conviction that occurred after he fell into death.
01:34Now, this seems to be a continuation of the president's focus on second chances,
01:39though it hasn't come without some sort of pushback from legal circles.
01:43Now, critics point out that the president is largely bypassing the traditional Department of Justice vetting process.
01:50Either way, it's a big day for some of the biggest names in NFL history.
01:54For the Jets fans out there, Joe Klecko's legacy is now officially clear of that 30-year-old legal shadow.
02:01Jets fans out there, Joe Klecko.
02:04Jets fans out there, Joe Klecko.
02:06Jets fans out there, Joe Klecko.
02:06Jets fans out there, Joe Klecko.
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