LSU Legend Billy Cannon Gets Presidential Pardon
The name Billy Cannon is guaranteed to stir some emotion in Louisiana. The legendary running back carried the LSU Tigers to a National Championship, and brought home LSU's first Heisman Trophy in 1959.
His iconic Halloween night punt return against Ole Miss is permanently burned into the brains of college football fans everywhere.
Billy Cannon's Legal Troubles
But his massive legacy took a dark turn decades later when he got tangled up in a multimillion dollar counterfeiting scheme. Apparently some issues with real estate investments, along with gambling debts, led Cannon to take part in a massive counterfeiting operation. Cannon was eventually charged for his part in printing over $6 million in fake $100 bills.
This was a shocking turn of events, because Cannon had already earned his DDS, and had started a dental practice in Baton Rouge. With a successful practice in operation, it was shocking to hear that Cannon had taken part in something so serious.
Cannon served time in federal prison during the 1980s before rebuilding his life as a dentist at the state penitentiary. Its an amazing redemption arc, that now includes a posthumous pardon directly from the White House.
White House Clears Multiple Former Pro Athletes
Cannon was not the only gridiron star to get their record wiped clean this week. The executive action from the White House covered five former professional football players who had previous serious run-ins with the law.
That specific list includes recognizable names like former Dallas Cowboys lineman Nate Newton and Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis. Both men served federal sentences for drug charges long after their playing days ended.
For a long time, these cases helped prove that even the biggest sports stars can find themselves on the wrong side of the justice system.