Sometimes, past mistakes can no longer define a legacy, and that proved to be true for the Baltimore Ravens legend, Jamal Lewis, who waited two decades, hoping for a presidential pardon. He finally received the exciting news from President Donald Trump’s administration on February 12, 2026. In an interview with TMZ Sports, the former running back went into detail about the presidential pardon.

“About 8 o’clock last night, I got a call from Miss Alice Johnson,” said Jamal. “She said, ‘Hey, just wanted to let you know I just met with the president and he just signed off on you a full pardon.'”

When asked about his emotions following the news, Jamal Lewis was visibly relieved.

“Oh man, I was speechless,” replied the Ravens legend. “I didn’t really know what to say but thank you.”

Jamal Lewis pleaded guilty to using a cellphone to facilitate a drug deal in 2004, with the conspiracy charges being dropped as part of his plea agreement. Although the case went to the court in 2004, the incident happened in June 2000, just two months after the Ravens picked him in the NFL Draft.

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The Super Bowl winner was suspended by the NFL for two games in the 2004 season and received a fine of approximately $760,000, equivalent to two weeks’ salary, while he also served four months in prison. Additionally, he was kept in a halfway house in Atlanta for two months after his release, alongside spending 500 hours in community service.

The former NFL star was prosecuted for the alleged crime based on a taped conversation. However, during the investigation, no physical evidence of money and drug exchange was found, which was a reason why Jamal Lewis evaded a serious punishment and spent only four months behind bars.

Before the Trump administration, the 46-year-old fought for a presidential pardon, seeing no signs of success. The incident happened when he was only 20 years old, and he spent years reaching out to past administrations in an attempt to get the issue put behind him but saw no positive results until now.

With the legal cloud finally lifted off him, the former Ravens star will enjoy certain perks that he previously didn’t have. The pardon officially clears his federal record and formally restores his firearm ownership. Previously, he was restricted from doing some selected businesses, which he can do now. Meanwhile, Jamal wasn’t the only former NFL player who received the presidential pardon this week.

Four additional former NFL players receive Presidential pardons

Aside from Jamal Lewis, President Trump pardoned four more former NFL players who had felony convictions on their records. The other individuals listed are the former Buffalo Bills running back Travis Henry, the former New York Jets defensive tackle Joe Klecko, the former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton, and the former Kansas City Chiefs tight end, the late Billy Cannon.

Travis Henry was found guilty of financing a drug trafficking ring in 2009, following a career that ended largely due to violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He was sentenced to three years in federal prison but was released after serving two.

Joe Klecko, 72, retired from the NFL in 1989. However, four years after his retirement, he was found guilty during an investigation into insurance fraud. He served three months in prison and an additional three months in home detention following his release. Similar to Jamal, he also did 159 community services, while he was fined $3000.

The late Bill Cannon played football in the 1960s and was LSU’s first Heisman winner. While he had an illustrious career, he was involved in $6 million worth of counterfeit money in 1983. He was originally sentenced to five years in prison but was released in 1986. The former tight end passed away in 2018 at 80 years old.