Harrison Butker, a three-time Super Bowl champion, made headlines this week once more, but not for a football-related reason. Following the viral success of his commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas, Butker sparked significant controversy and received backlash from both the NFL and GLAAD.
Speaking to graduating students, the 20-minute speech took a strong stand against “poor leadership” in the US and urged practicing Catholics to oppose abortion and be more “countercultural” in a religious community that, in his opinion, has grown more focused on pandering to the masses than voicing the hard truth. During his speech, Butker devoted a section to women, praising parenthood and asserting that they have been misled by “diabolical lies” regarding the trade-off between pursuing a job and becoming a wife and mother.
Thus, he proposed that “homemaker” is among “the most important titles” that a woman might hold.
Butker also criticized the way that males are currently viewed in society: “This myth that men are not needed in the home or in our communities is one of the things that afflicts our society,” he stated. Men establish the cultural tone, and when it is lacking, anarchy, dysfunction, and disorder take over.
READ FULL HARRISON BUTKER SPEECH TRANSCRIPT
In a statement released on Wednesday, the NFL stated that Butker’s remarks were made in “his personal capacity” and did not speak for the league as a whole. The NFL further claimed that it is “steadfast in our commitment to inclusion.” Moreover, Butker’s speech was deemed “a clear miss” and “woefully out of step with Americans about Pride, LGBTQ people, and women,” according to a statement released by GLAAD, which also made reference to Butker’s own assertion that Pride Month honors a “deadly sin.”
Although Butker has been mocked by some colleagues and made fun of by others—including the Los Angeles Chargers, who featured him in their 2024 schedule release video—the Chiefs have not issued an official statement on the situation.
Harrison Butker – The seasoned kicker, 28, has been a member of Kansas City since 2017. He was signed by the Chiefs off the Panthers practice squad early in his rookie season after being selected by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round of the draft. He immediately assumed a key role on special teams. In his rookie season, he made 38 of 42 field goals (90.5%), and two years later, while leading Kansas City to the Super Bowl in 2019, he was selected for the first time for the Pro Bowl. In that year, he led the NFL with 34 field goals.
In addition to leading the league in scoring in 2019, Butker signed a five-year contract extension in 2019. In 2023, he not only went 11 for 11 in the playoffs to help the Chiefs win another championship, but he also made a career-high 94.3% of his field goals.
After seven years as a professional, Butker ranks second only to Baltimore Ravens star Justin Tucker in terms of career field goal conversion rate. The Chiefs’ franchise record holder for longest field goal (62 yards) and career field goal percentage (89.1) is also among the most accurate kickers in NFL history.