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Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is sticking to his story. On Monday, February 3, at the Super Bowl’s annual press day, he said his past controversial remarks about women still stood.
Butker drew a firestorm of criticism in 2024 for remarks made while delivering the commencement speech at Benedictine College. The Atchison, Kansas school is a Catholic liberal arts college with a Christian heritage.
During his speech, Butker said that some women in the audience may be more excited about starting a family than having a career. He also said one of the most important roles a woman can fill is “homemaker.” He added that “Pride Month” equated to “deadly sin” in other remarks that day.
Kansas City Chiefs football kicker Harrison Butker arrives for the 32nd annual ceremony of the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, July 11, 2024. (Photo by Unique Nicole / AFP) (Photo by… Kansas City Chiefs football kicker Harrison Butker arrives for the 32nd annual ceremony of the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, July 11, 2024. (Photo by Unique Nicole / AFP) (Photo by UNIQUE NICOLE/AFP via Getty Images)
UNIQUE NICOLE/AFP via Getty Images
Butker’s comments were widely condemned. At the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, Butker attended and was called out by presenter Serena Williams, who told him, “We don’t need you.”
Now back at the Super Bowl, Butker defended his Benedictine remarks. “I’m a husband and a father before anything else. I love playing football with the guys, but sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by outside noise.”
He went on to say that social media can amplify outrage and “it can feel like the whole world is coming at you. Everyone experiences that on different scales. We have to focus on what’s most important.”
The 29-year old said his remarks at Benedictine “opened up a lot of good conversations” with his teammates.
“A lot of guys had differing opinions about it,” Butker admitted. “But we all love each other in that locker room and we all know who we are. I think all the guys understood where I was coming from. I know they respect me, they respect what I have to say. I got nothing to apologize for.”
Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on prior to the game New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 01, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on prior to the game New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 01, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
His teammates have previously backed Butker’s right to free speech.
“I know Harry and I saw him in the building. I call him Harry, I might be the only person who calls him Harry,” Travis Kelce said on his New Heights podcast in May 2024. “That just tells you, I mean, I’ve known him for seven-plus, eight-plus years and I cherish him as a teammate.
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