Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has reaffirmed his support for the statements he made during a commencement speech at Benedictine College this past May. The address, which became a focal point of media scrutiny, led to widespread controversy over his views on women’s roles in society. Butker addressed these controversies head-on in Wednesday’s media interaction at the Chiefs’ training camp.

“I’ve appreciated all the feedback,” Butker said. “I know when it comes to football I don’t really look at the comments good or bad towards me, but with it being the offseason and stating a lot of these things, I was really curious as to what people would be saying back to me and I respected all the viewpoints.”

“I prayed about it and I thought about it and I was very intentional with what I said, and I stand behind what I said and I really believe if people knew me as a person and understood that I was coming from a place of love and not a place of trying to attack or put people down, that I only want the best for people.”

The controversy mainly centered around Butker’s views on women prioritizing family over professional careers, which some interpreted as undermining women’s value in the workforce. In response to this, Butker explained, “My whole career I’ve talked about how I’m a husband and I’m a father before it comes to me as a kicker, something I’ve always preached. But then when I use that to talk about women, and I say that they should embrace and love being wives and being mothers over their career, I think then it gets construed that I’m trying to put women down, which I’m not at all.”

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During his speech in May, Butker strongly criticized Joe Biden, particularly condemning the president’s stance on abortion and his actions in relation to religious practices, which Butker described as “delusional.” His speech also touched on controversial topics such as IVF, surrogacy, the LGBT movement, and Pride Month.

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“My wife had never heard me speak publicly and she was there for that moment,” Butker said on Wednesday. “She was up in the background in one of the offices up there, and I was getting emotional looking at her crying and understanding that she has sacrificed so much for me.”

This Monday, Butker, who has been with the Chiefs since 2017, secured a contract extension that not only cemented his place in sports but also placed him at the top of the list as the highest-paid kicker in NFL history. The Chiefs announced they signed him to a four-year, $25.6 million extension that included $17.75 million guaranteed. The lucrative deal, which Butker represented and negotiated himself, extends his tenure with the Chiefs through the 2028 season. Under the new agreement, Butker’s career with the Chiefs, marked by significant contributions to the team’s success, including three Super Bowl victories since 2019, is set to continue its upward trajectory.

Originally a seventh-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers, Butker boasts a regular season field-goal conversion rate of 89.1% on 197 attempts. His playoff performance is even more impressive, with a success rate of 91.4% in field goals.

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