Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker caused a social media frenzy this offseason with his pro-family commencement speech at Benedictine College. The three-time Super Bowl champion stood by his comments after Saturday’s preseason game against the Lions.
“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life,” Butker wrote on X, attributing the quote to former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The International Churchill Society has noted that the quote is often misattributed to Britain’s World War II leader. A version of the statement first appeared in the work of French author Victor Hugo in 1845.
In his May speech at the Atchison, Kansas, religious school, Butker urged women to recognize the value of motherhood and told the men in the audience to be “unapologetic in your masculinity.”
Critics derided the kicker’s comments as misogynistic. Supporters claimed he was simply voicing his Catholic values. Chiefs’ officials said Butker’s off-field comments didn’t concern them.
“We all get along. We all respect each others’ opinions,” coach Andy Reid said in May. “And not necessarily do we go by those, but we respect everybody to have a voice. It’s a great thing about America, man.”
Kansas City’s front office also seemed undeterred. The team’s decision-makers rewarded the kicker with a record-breaking four-year, $25.6 million contract extension this month.
As the 2024 NFL season approaches, Butker has remained unapologetic about his speech.
“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,” the 29-year-old told reporters on Aug. 7.
Butker and the Chiefs open the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 5.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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