Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said he disagrees with “most” of Harrison Butker’s recent commencement speech, but said he won’t judge the kicker for his views.
“He has treated the friends and family I’ve introduced him to with nothing but respect and kindness,” Kelce said of Butker on Friday’s episode of his “New Heights” podcast. “And that’s how he treats everyone. When it comes to his views and what he said (in his) graduation speech about him, those are his.
“I can’t say I agree with most or any part of it other than he loves his family and his kids. And I don’t think I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, on how to live life, I’m just not like that.”
Kelce also praised Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ opinion on Butker’s controversial commencement speech, where Mahomes said he judges Butker on his character.
“I’ve known (Butker) for seven years,” Mahomes told reporters Wednesday. “I judge him by the character he shows every day and that is a good person. …We will not always agree. He said certain things that I don’t agree with.”
During his commencement speech at Benedictine College, Butker referred to Pride Month as an example of “deadly sins.” She also addressed gender ideologies and said that a woman’s most important title is “housewife.”
“It is you women who have been told the most diabolical lies,” Butker said during her speech to graduates earlier this month. “Some of you may go on to have successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that most of you are more excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”
Kelce noted that both his mother and father, Donna and Ed Kelce, were “homemakers and providers” during his childhood.
“They were amazing to be there every day of my life,” Kelce said. “That was a beautiful education for me. … I’m not the same person without both of them being who they were in my life.”
Scoop City Newsletter
Free daily NFL updates delivered right to your inbox. Register
Free daily NFL updates delivered right to your inbox. Register
Buy
Although Butker referenced a Taylor Swift lyric in his speech, Kelce, Swift’s boyfriend, did not address the topic.
“As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘Familiarity breeds contempt,’” Butker said, referencing Swift’s song, “Bejeweled,” during the speech.
Butker also used the speech to criticize President Joe Biden on several issues, including abortion and the COVID-19 pandemic, and questioned Biden’s devotion to Catholicism.
Despite Butker’s comments about Biden, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that he believes Butker will go with the team to the White House on May 31 to celebrate its 2024 Super Bowl victory.
“I didn’t think it was necessary (to address it). “We are a microcosm of life,” Reid said when asked about Butker’s comments. “We all respect each other’s opinions. “We all have a voice.”
A few days after Butker gave his speech, the NFL issued a statement distancing itself from his comments and said Butker’s views are not the same as those of the league as an organization.
Asked about Butker’s speech at league meetings in Nashville on Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league has a “diversity of opinions and thoughts.”
Kelce echoed a similar sentiment when talking about how teammates don’t always share the same views but can work together: “You put aside your differences for a common goal, and that’s the beauty of team sports. equipment. “That’s the beauty of the NFL.”
Required reading
(Photo of Harrison Butker (left) and Travis Kelce (right): Arne Dedert / Picture Alliance via /Keynote USA/Getty Images)
Keynote USA
For the Latest Sports News, Follow @Keynote USA Sports on Twitter.