Harrison Butker spoke to native Kansas Metropolis media at coaching camp in the present day for the primary time since his controversial Might graduation speech at Benedictine Faculty.
Butker grew to become a lightning rod for suggesting that a few of its feminine graduates seemed ahead to being wives and moms greater than getting into the working world.
The Chiefs kicker isn’t backing down from these feedback.
Butker lately signed a $25.6 million contract with the Chiefs to grow to be the highest-paid place kicker within the NFL. He’s coming off a career-best season during which he hit 94.3 p.c of his subject objective makes an attempt and was an ideal 11-for-11 in subject objectives for the Chiefs’ most up-to-date Tremendous Bowl run.
In the present day, Butker mentioned he “revered all of the viewpoints” of people that disagreed along with his speech, which included criticisms of President Joe Biden and his dealing with of COVID-19, and feedback on abortion, IVF, surrogacy, and euthanasia.
“I prayed about it, I considered it, and I used to be very intentional with what I mentioned,” Butker mentioned of his speech. “I stand by what I mentioned.
“I actually imagine if folks knew me as an individual, and understood that it was coming from a spot of affection, and never a spot of attempting to draw or put folks down,” Butker added. “I solely need the most effective for folks, that’s what I used to be attempting to say there. I believe the folks that have been in that gymnasium all understood what I used to be saying.”
Butker was criticized by many within the sports activities world, together with Serena Williams on the ESPY Awards and a former Chiefs cheerleader.
“I’ve been within the league now seven years and I do have a platform,” Butker added Wednesday. “So with that comes folks that need me to state what I imagine to be crucial.”
“I’m going to proceed to say what I imagine to be true and love everybody alongside the best way.”
The Chiefs begin the search for his or her third-straight championship on Sept. 5 towards the Ravens on Thursday Night time Soccer.
