Harrison Butker, the Kansas City Chiefs kicker, said he stands by the words he made during a commencement address that caused criticism.
Butker blasted the Biden administration’s policies at a ceremony earlier this month, claiming that many women were more eager about getting married and having children than collecting their degrees and labeling Pride Month as one of the seven deadly sins.
Buker reiterated his remarks while speaking at the Regina Caeli Academy Courage Under Fire Gala in Nashville, Tennessee. Butker, in his first public comments since the commencement speech, stated that he has no regrets.
“Over the past few days, my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe,” Butker said on Friday. “From the start, many people displayed alarming levels of hatred. However, as time passed, even those who disagreed with my ideas expressed their support for my religious freedom.
He also stated that the majority of previous comments about him were about his on-field performance, not his off-field statements.
“It’s a decision I’ve consciously made and one I do not regret at all,” he stated afterwards.
In the days after Butker’s commencement speech, the NFL moved to distance itself from his remarks, stating that “his views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”
Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs’ top quarterback, also weighed in on the comments, saying Butker is a “good person” with the right to express his ideas.
Just before the Kansas City Chiefs received an invitation to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl victory, Butker faced criticism.