Harrison Butker Regrets ‘Nothing’ About His Controversial Speech

Harrison Butker recently addressed his controversial graduation speech that put the NFL player under much scrutiny in 2024 during the media day for the upcoming Super Bowl game.

The 29-year-old came under fire in May 2024 after delivering a commencement speech at Benedictine College, in which the football player shared his traditional beliefs about women, relationships, and sexuality.

During the press day on Monday, February 3, Harrison Butker defended his comments and also said the speech gave him a chance to speak with others about the driving factors behind his belief system.

Butker’s speech, which addressed women and the queer community, calling their pride “deadly sins,” sparked much debate online. In addition to his aforementioned comments about certain communities, he also called on the “ladies present” to consider taking the chances of becoming mothers and wives more seriously than earning new positions and high titles in the workplace.

The NFL kicker went on to call his wife, Isabelle Butker, a “homemaker,” saying she only began to live out her true calling when she became a spouse. However, his controversial comments didn’t end there. Butker also addressed the men in the audience, telling them to “set the tone of the culture” before telling them to be “unapologetic in your masculinity.”

Butker defended his statements during media day, saying God had “given me this platform, and I’m going to say what I believe to be true and what I hold close to my heart.”

Butker revealed that the graduation speech that made its rounds all over the internet allowed him to have open and productive conversations with some of his NFL teammates. According to him, several of his Kansas City brothers had “differing opinions;” however, he revealed that the love they have in the locker room supersedes all of that.

He even said he believed “all [of my teammates] understood where I was coming from” regarding the speech in which he questioned former President of the United States Joe Biden.

He finished, saying that despite the pushback, he didn’t feel sorry about ruffling anybody’s feathers.

“I got nothing to apologize for,” he said.

Following the news of Butker’s speech, which many deemed “misogynistic,” some of his NFL peers spoke out about his comments.

Travis Kelce, whose relationship with Taylor Swift was front and center at the time, addressed the noise on his podcast and defended the Super Bowl champion against the criticism.

Kelce admitted that he cherished Butker “as a teammate” before saying he’s “treated friends and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness.” He continued, “When it comes down to his views and what he said at the [Benedictine College] commencement speech, you know, those are his [views]. I can’t say I agree with the majority of it — or just about any of it — outside of just him loving his family or his kids. I don’t think I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views of how he goes about life.”

The Chiefs’ standout quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, also replied and shared similar beliefs.

“I’ve known him for seven years. I judge him by the character he shows every single day, and that’s a good person,” he said. “That’s someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family, and wants to make a good impact in society.”

Butker isn’t the only NFL player who has had to deal with negative press. Recently, Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker was accused by several massage therapists of misconduct dating from 2012 to 2016. In the reports, several women who requested anonymity came forward to share their alleged unfavorable experiences with the Maryland-based kicker.

According to reports, Tucker’s behavior, which the victims claimed included showing his erect penis, genitals, and touching their thighs with his hand, all took place at spas in Baltimore, Maryland.

“I’ve told people about this over the years, and they either act like it’s hot gossip or a joke,” one therapist revealed. “But it was really degrading.”

Once the news of the Tucker allegations became public, NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson discussed it on their podcast, “Nightcap.”

Johnson, who played several seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals, told his co-host that the sheer number of accusers (over six) didn’t look good for the Ravens’ star kicker.

Sharpe agreed, saying it’s tough when that many people come forward. However, he believed the NFL would do its best to discover the truth in the investigation.

Before Johnson finished, he slammed Tucker for what he believed to be a “pattern of behavior.”

“Now, when you have a problem, and there’s an issue with one person, that’s one thing. Now, there, a person deserves their true innocence until proven guilty. Now, if you have a pattern of behavior, and it’s all coming from different people, that’s different. Everybody can’t be lying,” he said.

Tucker replied to the accusations, calling them “unequivocally false” before saying the “claims were part of a “preconceived narrative” to garner attention by using his name.