It’s been an eventful year for Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.
After helping KC win the Super Bowl last February, Butker delivered what turned out to be a very controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College in May. He then encountered weeks of social media backlash, a petition for his release and midseason surgery on his non-kicking knee.
One year after it all began, the Chiefs are back where it all started prepping for another Super Bowl — and reporters were curious if Butker wanted to revisit or reconsider any of his commencement remarks. Instead, he doubled down.
“God has given me this platform and I’m going to say what I believe to be true and what I hold close to my heart,” the veteran replied. “Anything that comes, I’m blessed to be on the Chiefs and be in another Super Bowl.”
Butker also went into detail on how his comments were taken within the locker room, noting that they “opened up a lot of good conversations” with teammates.
“A lot of guys had different opinions about it,” he acknowledged, “but we all love each other in that locker room. We all know who we are. All the guys understood where I was coming from. They respect me. They respect what I have to say.”
Butker finished by reiterating that “I have nothing to apologize for” — which caused yet another stir on social media as some defended him and others continued to question his rhetoric.
Harrison Butker’s ‘Nothing to Apologize for’ Answer at Super Bowl LIX Reignites Social Media Debate Over Commencement Speech
As stated above, the reactions after Butker’s latest Q&A were mixed, as they typically are. MLFootball’s post sparked the debate.
“You are trying so hard to drum up controversy,” a Butker defender wrote. “In his speech he was talking about how much he cherished his wife and said she ’embraced one of the most important titles of all: homemaker,’ he also went on to say that the most important vocation a man can have is as a father. So no he didn’t say a woman’s most important role is as a homemaker.”
Continuing: “He said one of the most important vocations you can have is as a parent. That goes for both mothers and fathers, and he stressed that family is more important than a job. People try so hard to twist that into sexism, and it just shows that their hearts are filled with hate.”
On the flip side, a critic questioned: “Where does ‘sharing his faith’ direct him to tell half the population how they should live ? Maybe he should focus on helping those in need before he tries to tell people what jobs are allowed.”
“People keep forgetting this is America,” another defender weighed in.
And a second critic said: “I like his kicking but absolutely hate his politics. Football has been my escape from politics and watching what’s happening in our country. I wish he’d shut up and just kick so I don’t start hating him.”
Finally, one user took the middle ground, responding: “Ehh who cares. His faith has no impact on me or my family and friends.”
Revisiting Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker’s Commencement Speech at Benedictine College
The controversy began when Butker delivered the commencement speech at Benedictine College — a private Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas — on May 11. He told the audience:
I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. … Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.
I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I’m on this stage today, and able to be the man I am, because I have a wife who leans into her vocation.
I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.
Butker married his wife in 2018. They now have three children together according to New York Post reporter Ryan Dunleavy.
