The start of the NFL season is still more than three months away, but football never truly goes silent — even if that means the headlines from the shirt a coach wears during minicamp, or from a player's commencement speech at a small college.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker received the honor of delivering the 2024 commencement address at Benedictine College, a small Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas. But certain comments from his speech are ruffling feathers.
On the field, Butker is a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, and he has been the Kansas City kicker for the entirety of the Patrick Mahomes era.
Yet Butker is now making headlines for his controversial comments off the field. Here's a look at what Butker said to spark outrage.
MORE: Tracking Chiefs' 2024 schedule leaks
Harrison Butker commencement speech
At Benedictine College's commencement ceremony Saturday, Butker spoke out against Pride month and against U.S. President Joe Biden's leadership on several issues.
Butker referred to LGBTQ+ Pride month, mentioning "the deadly sins sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it" while adding that he preferred "God-centered pride."
And when addressing the women graduating from the college, Butker had pointed words about their options as they embark on the world.
"I think it is you, the women, who have has the most diabolic lies told to you," Butker said. "Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."
Butker praised his wife, Isabelle, explaining that he is "able to be the man that I am" because his wife has taken on a role as a homemaker. He also encouraged men graduating from the college to "be unapologetic in [their] masculinity."
The Chiefs kicker also spoke out against "the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion," arguing, "We fear speaking truth because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority."
Butker, who has spoken out against abortion in the past, also railed against U.S. policies — including those of Biden, whom he called "delusional" for supporting abortion rights as a Catholic.
The full speech, which lasted more than 20 minutes, has been viewed more than 80,000 times on YouTube as of Tuesday.
NFL response to Harrison Butker's speech
The NFL responded Thursday to Butker's speech, telling PEOPLE in a statement Butker's views were not aligned with the league's.
"Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity," NFL senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane told 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."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell chimed in more than a week after Butker's speech, saying diversity of opinion is "something that we treasure and that's part of ultimately what makes us as a society better."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Harrison Butker's commencement speech: "We have over 3,000 players. ... They have a diversity of opinions & thoughts just like America does. I think that's something that we treasure & that's part of ultimately what makes us as a society better."
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) May 22, 2024
MORE: How Taylor Swift's 2024 Eras Tour dates compare to Chiefs schedule
Andy Reid response to Harrison Butker's speech
Chiefs coach Andy Reid broke his silence on Butker's comments at OTAs on Wednesday, supporting Butker's right to speak his mind.
"We all respect each other's opinions. We all have a voice," Reid said, explaining that he didn't feel he needed to address the team about the speech.
Andy Reid on Harrison Butker's comments from his commencement speech: "I didn't think I need to. We're a microcosm of life. ... We all respect each other's opinions. We all have a voice."
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) May 22, 2024
"Everybody’s got their own opinion, and that’s what’s great about this country," Reid added. Wednesday's comments by Reid were his first since the firestorm of outrage began around Butker more than a week earlier.
Wife of Chiefs owner supports Harrison Butker
Tavia Hunt, the wife of Chiefs co-owner Clark Hunt took to Instagram on Thursday to support Butker's beliefs in a long post that zagged against the consensus opinions.
""I’ve always encouraged my daughters to be highly educated and chase their dreams. I want them to know that they can do whatever they want (that honors God). But I also want them to know that I believe finding a spouse who loves and honors you as or before himself and raising a family together is one of the greatest blessings this world has to offer," Hunt began.
"Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother, is not bigoted. It is empowering to acknowledge that a woman’s hard work in raising children is not in vain. Countless highly educated women devote their lives to nurturing and guiding their children. Someone disagreeing with you doesn’t make them hateful; it simply means they have a different opinion. Let’s celebrate families, motherhood and fatherhood. Our society desperately needs dedicated men and women to raise up and train the next generation in the way they should go. Proverbs 31:28 says, 'Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Embracing the beautiful roles that God has made is something to celebrate.
"I also caution against taking things (or parts of speeches) out of context. Sound bites overlaid with hateful comments are not what we want to model for our children or others. We need more dialogue (and VALUES, IMO) in this country and less hate," her point concluded.
Chris Jones defends Harrison Butker
Jones is the first Chiefs teammate to speak out in Butker's defense, taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to support his kicker.
I love you @buttkicker7! My brotha 🫂 https://t.co/sV48gXePHL
— Chris Jones (@StoneColdJones) May 17, 2024
Other star players like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have yet to address the situation.
Harrison Butker Taylor Swift comments
Butker quoted a Taylor Swift lyric during his commencement speech, referring to the pop star as "my teammate's girlfriend."
"As my teammate's girlfriend says, 'familiarity breeds contempt,'" Butker said. The lyric comes from Swift's 2022 song, "Bejeweled," which references the well-known phrase.
Butker was referring to religion at the time, as he prefaced the line with criticism of some priests for what he believes is too close of a relationship between themselves and their parishioners.
"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," Butker said before dropping in the Swift reference.
Naturally, that didn't sit well with Swift's fans, who expressed their outrage in the days following Butker's speech. Many dubbed Butker "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived," which is the title of a song from Swift's recent album.
Responses to Butker's comments have gone viral on TikTok, with many women sharing their own education stories as a rejection of the Chiefs kicker's advice.
Harrison Butker Change.org petition
In Jones' tweet in Butker's defense, he quote-tweeted a screenshot of a Change.org petition titled, "Demand the Kansas City Chiefs to dismiss Harrison Butker for Discriminatory Remarks."
The petition has over 186,537 signatures in four days, as of 2 p.m. ET on Friday, May 17. It is looking at acquiring 200,000 signatures.
To be clear, reaching that goal will have no impact on the Chiefs' front office's decision.
Mike McDaniel addresses Harrison Butker's comments
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has produced plenty of viral soundbites since he was hired in 2022, but he took a more serious approach when asked at OTAs about Butker's comments.
"I think you do have to open the eyes of the players to their platform if they're new to the situation," McDaniel said, adding, "I really emphasize that whatever you're going to say, you better believe it. You just try to educate people to understand the consequences of whatever they do. They have the freedom of choice, and if they want to go that direction, go right ahead."
Butker isn't "new to the situation" — he's entering his eighth season in the NFL — but McDaniel is approaching the situation with caution like most other league figures who have commented, defending the Chiefs kicker's right to hold an opinion while warning against being reckless when making public comments.
Who is Harrison Butker's mom?
Butker's mom is Elizabeth Butker.
Elizabeth Butker is a medical physicist in the department of radiation oncology at Emory University, according to Us Magazine, a role she has held since 1988. She has a bachelor's degree in chemistry earned in 1985 from Smith College and a master's degree in medical physics earned in 1988 from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
His mom specializes in brachytherapy and Gamma Knife medical physics care, per Winship Cancer Institute at Emory. She followed in the footsteps of her father, James W. Keller, who worked at the Winship Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology for 13 years and spent another 15 at the Winship Department of Radition Oncology.
Harrison Butker religion
Butker is openly Catholic and has been vocal about his support for traditional Catholicism, including Latin Mass.
The 28-year-old has also spoken out against abortion rights in recent years. When the Chiefs visited the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl 57 win in 2023, Butker wore a tie with a Latin phrase that translates to, “Protect the most vulnerable."
The Chiefs will likely visit the White House again in 2024 after winning another Super Bowl, pending Biden's campaign schedule. That could set the stage for an interesting dynamic if Butker attends.
Where is Benedictine College?
Benedictine College is located in Atchison, Kansas. The campus is an about an hour drive away from Kansas City.
Benedictine is a small, Catholic liberal arts college with just over 2,000 undergraduate students. Catholic Mass is frequently celebrated on Benedictine's campus.
Benedictine also features St. Benedict's Abbey, which houses dozens of practicing monks, as well as Mount St. Scholastica Monastery, which is home to practicing nuns.
The 2023 commencement address at Benedictine College was delivered by Leonard Leo, chairman of the board of the directors at the conservative-leaning Federalist Society, a legal organization that produced five current U.S. Supreme Court Justices.
MORE: Chiefs expect multi-game suspension for Rashee Rice
Maria Shriver Harrison Butker rebuttal
Journalist Maria Shriver, who is also the niece of former president John F. Kennedy, hit back at Butker's speech with her own response that is drawing praise.
"I think it's demeaning to women to imply that their choices outside of wife and motherhood pale in comparison to that of homemaker," Shriver said, adding that it took a "revolution" for women to gain the rights that men already had.
Shriver called on Butker's wife to step in and tell her husband that many women cannot afford to simply be a homemaker.
"Are [men] really the ones who set the tone for the culture?" Shriver asked. "Can we all not set the tone for the future? Women, men, gay, straight — of course we can!"
We all have the right to voice our opinions, but let us strive to do so with dignity and respect. #abovethenoise pic.twitter.com/d2CSbNS7vz
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) May 15, 2024
Shriver, whose father served in presidential administrations of his brother-in-law John F. Kennedy and Kennedy's successor Lyndon B. Johnson, has enjoyed a lengthy media career that included 18 years on NBC News as an anchor. She was also the First Lady of California during her marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Where did Harrison Butker go to college?
Butker didn't attend Benedictine College, which competes at the NAIA level in sports. The Chiefs kicker spent his college career at NCAA Division I program Georgia Tech before the Panthers selected him in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Butker was born and raised in Georgia, so he stayed in the Atlanta area by joining coach Paul Johnson and the Yellow Jackets. The local product made just 71.7% of his field goal attempts at Georgia Tech, but he put together his best season as a senior, when he finished 15-of-17.
That was enough to get Butker an opportunity in Carolina and then a long stay with the Chiefs. Now he's a three-time Super Bowl champion and one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history — albeit one who comes with some controversy.