White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley announced President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting clemency to former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr.
Ahead of the highly publicized announcement of DeBartolo’s clemency on Tuesday, former National Football League (NFL) greats visited the White House to commemorate the day. NFL Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Jim Brown, and other former NFL players were present.
During a brief press conference, Rice praised Trump for his efforts.
“I take my hat off to Donald Trump for what he did,” Rice said at the announcement. “Today is a great day.”
Rice, who won five Super Bowls during his 14-year career with the San Francisco 49ers, credited DeBartolo for his work in the community.
“Eddie was like that 12th man that was on that football field. You know that this guy, you know, he wanted us to win. And I think he’s the main reason why we won so many Super Bowls,” Rice said, according to a White House pool report.
“So today is a great day for him. I’m glad to be here and be a part of that. And, you know, it’s just something I’ll never forget. You know, this man, he has done so much in the community, he has done so much in NFL football.”
DeBartolo played an intricate part in creating the 49ers’ NFL dynasty of the 1980s-’90s. However, his reign came to an end in 1998 when he pleaded guilty in a corruption case.
The former 49ers franchise owner failed to report a felony when he had paid $400,000 to former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards. The funds were given in exchange for a riverboat gambling license.
As a result of the federal offense, DeBartolo was fined $1 million by the NFL and barred from operating the football franchise for a year. He ultimately ceded control of the franchise to his sister, Denise York.
