Current:Home > ContactNFL Responds to Kansas City Chiefs Player Harrison Butker's Controversial Graduation Speech -ProgressCapital
NFL Responds to Kansas City Chiefs Player Harrison Butker's Controversial Graduation Speech
View
Date:2025-04-18 12:47:29
The NFL is making it clear that Harrison Butker does not speak for them.
The Kansas City Chiefs kicker faced criticism for a May 11 commencement speech he gave at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., in which he touched on a number of topics from abortion to the role of women and LGBTQ+ rights.
Following the graduation address, the NFL clarified that Butker's comments do not represent the league as a whole.
"Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity," the NFL's senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane said in a statement to People. "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."
During his speech, Butker discussed various political and religious topics, and even quoted the song "Bejeweled" by Taylor Swift, the girlfriend of his teammate Travis Kelce.
"Tragically, so many priests revolve much of their happiness from the adulation they receive from their parishioners. And in searching for this, they let their guard down and become overly familiar," he "said. "This undue familiarity will prove to be problematic every time. Because as my teammate's girlfriend says, 'familiarity breeds contempt.'"
The 28-year-old also touched on the role he thinks women should play, saying that while many female graduates might "go on to lead successful careers in the world," he believes more of them are "most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world." According to the athlete, his wife Isabelle Butker "would be the first to say her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother."
Butker—who shares two children with Isabelle—additionally took aim at the LGBTQ+ community, saying that Pride Month is "the deadly sin sort of pride," and that the community promotes "dangerous gender ideologies."
He also added that while the COVID-19 pandemic "might've played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique."
"Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues," he continued. "Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder."
E! News reached out to reps for Swift, Butker and the Chiefs for comment but has yet to hear back.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (277)
Related
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- 'Renfield' lacks bite
- 'We Were Once a Family' exposes ills of U.S. child welfare system
- Our Favorite Muppets
- The 'Rebel Ridge' trailer is here: Get an exclusive first look at Netflix movie
- Books We Love: No Biz Like Show Biz
- In 'The Teachers,' passion motivates, even as conditions grow worse for educators
- BAFTA Film Awards 2023: See the Complete List of Winners
- Billy Bean was an LGBTQ advocate and one of baseball's great heroes
- 'Better Call Saul' star's new series 'Lucky Hank' makes a midlife crisis compelling
Ranking
- Eva Mendes Shares Message of Gratitude to Olympics for Keeping Her and Ryan Gosling's Kids Private
- Two migrant kids fight to stay together — and stay alive — in this harrowing film
- 'A Living Remedy' tells a story of family, class and a daughter's grief
- 'Pretty Baby' chronicles Brooke Shields' career and the sexualization of young girls
- RFK Jr. closer to getting on New Jersey ballot after judge rules he didn’t violate ‘sore loser’ law
- Watch Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott's Son Aire Taste His First Ice Cream at Disneyland
- Celebrate National Lash Day With Deals From Benefit, Bobbi Brown, Well People & More
- 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' has high charisma
Recommendation
A New York Appellate Court Rejects a Broad Application of the State’s Green Amendment
Spring Swimwear Must-Haves: Shop 20 Essential Bikinis, Bandeaus, One-Pieces & More
Shop These 28 Top-Selling Lululemon Styles at Great Prices on Presidents' Day 2023
'Showing Up' is a rare glimpse of an artist at (very hard) work
Olympic disqualification of gold medal hopeful exposes 'dark side' of women's wrestling
'Poverty, By America' shows how the rest of us benefit by keeping others poor
Fall Out Boy on returning to the basics and making the 'darkest party song'
'Picard' boldly goes into the history books