logo
Chiefs' Harrison Butker on controversial commencement speech: 'I don't feel the need to apologize'

Chiefs' Harrison Butker on controversial commencement speech: 'I don't feel the need to apologize'

Yahoo06-02-2025

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is looking back at his controversial Benedictine College commencement speech with no regrets.
In May, Butker made headlines for his remarks to the Catholic liberal arts college's graduating class. During the speech, he criticized Pride Month, IVF and the 'most diabolical lies' the women graduates have been told, adding that he guessed a majority of the female students were 'most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.'
Almost a year later, Butker is addressing his divisive words again as he and his teammates prepare to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in the upcoming 2025 Super Bowl.
Days before the game, Butker and other players arrived in New Orleans — where the Super Bowl will take place at Caesars Superdome — for a media event. As he took questions from different reporters, the 29-year-old spoke about the backlash he has received for his stances over the past year.
'It was a surprise because I'd been saying similar things to that for many years now and it's funny what stuff gets picked up,' Butker said, according to the Associated Press. 'I said what I said. I believe in it. I don't feel the need to apologize for anything.'
He added, 'I feel like God's prepared me for that moment to feel confident in who I am and what's most important in my life and I'm able to handle whatever comes my way.'
The AP also reported that one journalist asked Butker, 'What do you think about gays?'
He replied, 'I understand that this is a great evening and we're here to focus on the game. Maybe if I saw him without a camera, we'd have a great conversation.'
Following his viral speech, fellow athletes like Serena Williams, a group of nuns associated with Benedictine College, the Los Angeles Chargers and multiple others weighed in to mock and reject Butker's remarks. Speaking about the extra attention he received, he said, 'There's been a lot that's gone on and I never expected to be this known, I guess, as a kicker.'
Butker had previously reacted to the backlash in August, prior to the start of the season.
'I've been in the league now seven years and I do have a platform,' Butker said while speaking to reporters at a Chiefs training camp. 'So with that comes people that want me to state what I believe to be very important.'
He didn't waver on the messages he shared in his speech. 'I'm going to stand behind what it is I'm saying. I kind of look at the offseason as a little bit of a maybe five-month period where I can just represent me as Harrison Butker, as a faithful Catholic,' he said. 'And then obviously when it gets to the season, I try to focus as much as I can on football and not being a distraction for the Chiefs.'
Teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce also responded to Butker's speech last year.
Mahomes said, 'I know Harrison. I've known him for seven years and I judge him by the character that he shows every single day and that's a good person. That's someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family and wants to make a good impact in society.'
He added that he didn't 'necessarily agree' with Butker's views.
On a May episode of his 'New Heights' podcast, Kelce said, 'I cherish him as a teammate. I think Pat said it best where he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate. He's treated family and family that I've introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness. And that's how he treats everyone. When it comes down to his views and what he said at Saint Benedict's commencement speech, those are his. I can't say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids. And I don't think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that's just not who I am.'
Meanwhile, the NFL gave a statement clarifying that Butker's opinions did not reflect the league's beliefs.
'His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger,' Jonathan Beane, the NFL's senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, said in a statement.
Beane also noted that Butker 'gave a speech in his personal capacity.'
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a move for a star defender skipping minicamp?
Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a move for a star defender skipping minicamp?

USA Today

time34 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a move for a star defender skipping minicamp?

Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a move for a star defender skipping minicamp? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have as near to a complete roster as a team can ask for in this current age of football. Jason Licht's work with his staff while building this current roster of Tampa Bay Buccaneers has not been without growing pains. It took some bad draft classes, trades, and signings to get the process down, but after winning a Super Bowl, he is ready for another. The fast track to getting a second one may be right in front of him. A trio of notable veteran defenders, who are unhappy with their contracts, are skipping the start of their team's mandatory minicamps. T.J. Watt of the Steelers, Trey Hendrickson of the Bengals, and Jalen Ramey of the Dolphins all have been speculated to be the topic of trade rumors at some point this offseason, but could they make sense for the Bucs? Both Hendrickson and Watt would be significant upgrades and solutions to their issues at the edge position. While they have Calijah Kancey and Haason Reddick poised for breakout years, they could use a dominant presence they can lean on. Both Hendrickson and Watt fit that bill. As for Ramsey, the cornerback position is filled with youth, so adding Ramsey not only gives them a reliable outside option but also gives them a veteran voice in the group. A move for any three of them would require a decent amount of draft capital, so it remains to be seen whether Jason Licht can pull the trigger on acquiring one of them. If he were to do so, it would signal the Bucs being all in on the 2025 season.

Who would win between the 2018 and 2021 Rams? GM Les Snead has his pick
Who would win between the 2018 and 2021 Rams? GM Les Snead has his pick

USA Today

time39 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Who would win between the 2018 and 2021 Rams? GM Les Snead has his pick

Who would win between the 2018 and 2021 Rams? GM Les Snead has his pick The Los Angeles Rams have made two Super Bowls in the past 10 seasons — once in 2018 when they lost to the New England Patriots and then when they won in 2021 over the Cincinnati Bengals. Both made the Super Bowl in different manners, as the 2018 team relied on a high-powered offense under second-year head coach Sean McVay. The 2021 team, meanwhile, swapped Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford under center and had a much more balanced approach between offense and defense. Les Snead was also the general manager of both teams and had a simple answer when ex-Titans GM Ran Carthon asked him which team would win in a game. "2021," Snead said. "They won it. They were very connected. There were a lot of people on that team who were part of '18. So there's that element of the hunger, really the starvation of that taste versus that element of when you first get there." The key elements of Snead's reasoning make sense: The 2021 won it, so clearly they were the better team. They also had the intangible element of having a taste of the Super Bowl, missing out on it and getting another shot at a ring. Clearly, too, Snead doesn't want to get into the Goff vs. Stafford argument. While Goff thrived under McVay, Stafford was good enough to take the team over the edge where Goff could not.

Bills Offense Goes Back To Square 1 In Development
Bills Offense Goes Back To Square 1 In Development

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Bills Offense Goes Back To Square 1 In Development

Bills Offense Goes Back To Square 1 In Development originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Buffalo Bills have one of the best offensive units in the entire NFL The reigning MVP in Josh Allen is back, and he's got a collection of solid receivers, and a 1,000-yard runner (assuming James Cook eventually shows up), and a top-five offensive line are all part of the Bills' dominant offense. Advertisement As the team prepares for another year together - and a Super Bowl push that begins with this week's minicamp - the Bills have a difficult task. ... a hump to overcome. In short? It's easy for a talented offense to get stale after so many years together. It's why their play-caller, Joe Brady, will be under immense pressure this season. Brady has a plan to keep the offense from falling into that trap, though. And it starts with pushing the entire group back to Square One through offseason workouts. "I think a problem every coach faces every year is if you think you can just pick up where you left off, you lose sight of the details, you lose sight of the how, you lose sight of what got you to that point," Brady said. "There are elements of what we did last year that we obviously need to continue to sustain, but there are so many elements we've got to get better at." Advertisement Buffalo has always been one of the more efficiently explosive offensive units in the league over the last few years. They have gone toe-to-toe with the best ... and won more than their share. The Bills believe themselves to be Super Bowl contenders. Time will tell if that is the case in 2025. And going back to Square One is part of that plan. Related: 'Big Game Gabe' Davis Gets Visit As Bills Ex Seeks Contract With Saints Related: Bills' Rumored Target Released By Packers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store