When Chiefs' Harrison Butker urged college students to get married and start a family

Kansas City Chiefs' kicker Harrison Butker has often received backlash for his comments, which were widely criticised as ‘un-woke’. The athlete who is a husband and a father has always advocated for certain old-school family values.

Last year in May, the Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made some remarks about women, abortion, IVF, and the LGBTQ+ community during his commencement speech at Benedictine College.

When Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker said he had the 'antidote' for young peoples' depression

That wasn’t the first time Butker talked about his views on society. Butker’s 2023 graduation address at his alma mater, Georgia Institute of Technology, also featured some debatable views which were slammed by critics. Butker emphasized his belief that "there's a feeling of hopelessness for the future, and we continue to become entrenched in our respective groups."Butker said during the 2023 speech that he had an antidote to young adults' feelings of "loneliness, anxiety and depression": "Get married and start a family,” Butker quipped as college graduates looked on."My confidence as a husband and a father and yes, even as a football player, is rooted in my marriage with my wife as we leave our mark on future generations by the children we bring to the world. How much greater of a legacy can anyone leave than that?" Butker said.

Almost a year later, Butker addressed his controversial speech again right before the 2025 Super Bowl. During the pre-event press conference in New Orleans, the athlete spoke about the backlash his comments received. “It was a surprise because I’d been saying similar things to that for many years now and it’s funny what stuff gets picked up,” Butker told the press. “I said what I said. I believe in it. I don’t feel the need to apologize for anything.”He added, “I feel like God’s prepared me for that moment to feel confident in who I am and what’s most important in my life and I’m able to handle whatever comes my way.”