Pro-kicker Harrison Butker is clearly loving the spotlight his controversial commencement speech garnered him over the past couple of weeks.
On Friday, the Kansas City Chiefs player spoke at a “Courage Under Fire” gala in Nashville, Tennessee for the Regina Caeli Academy. Butker was all grins, decked out in a tuxedo for the black-tie affair.
“If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now,” Butker said at the event in footage The Daily Wire posted to X. “Over the past few days, my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe,” he proudly added.
However, it seems his comments were a calculated ploy to shift the media spotlight on himself.
BREAKING: In first public remarks since his commencement speech sparked a liberal meltdown, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker makes very clear he’s not backing down from his faith. @buttkicker7 pic.twitter.com/q3Vh0KpvTg
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) May 25, 2024
“It’s a decision I’ve consciously made, and one I do not regret at all,” Butker explained.
In his commencement speech at Benedictine College on May 11, Butker stated that a woman’s most important title is “homemaker.” He also criticized Pride Month as an example of “deadly sins.”
His comments created quite a controversy online. Some teammates, including Travis Kelce, disagreed with Butker’s remarks but also emphasized their respect for him.
“I can’t say I agree with the majority [of what Butker said] or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids,” Kelce recently said on his podcast. “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.”
Harrison Butker Explains How the Plight of Saints is Helping Him Through His Current Situation
During his speech on Nashville, Butker noted the difference in the scrutiny for his beliefs versus his performance on the NFL field.
“In my seven years in the NFL, I’ve become familiar with positive and negative comments,” he admitted. “But the majority of them revolve around my performance on the field. But, as to be expected, the more I’ve talked about what I value most, my Catholic faith, the more polarizing I’ve become.”
Without a hint of self-awareness, Harrison Butker likened two weeks of minor media scrutiny to the plight of Saints and Martyrs.
“If I constantly remind myself of the hardships the saints went through. Especially the martyrs in their persecution, it makes it all seem not so bad,” Butker added. “For if Heaven is our goal, we should embrace our cross, however large or small it may be, and live our life with joy to be a bold witness to Christ,” he said.
Harrison Butker Enjoys the Support of His Teammates
Meanwhile, his co-worker, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, gladly took up for Butker.
“I’ve known him for seven years,” Mahomes recently said. “I judge him by the character that he shows every single day …that’s someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family, and wants to make a good impact in society.”
“We’re not always going to agree. There are certain things that he said that I don’t necessarily agree with but I understand the person that he is and he’s trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction.”