Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce responds to Harrison Butker’s commencement address

Kanas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce had his say on his teammate Harrison Butker’s controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College earlier this month.

Speaking on Friday’s episode of his “New Heights” Podcast with brother Jason Kelce, the tight end said he doesn’t agree with “almost any” of Butker’s opinions but values ​​him as a teammate.

“He treated the family and the family I introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness. And that’s how he treats everyone. When it comes to his views and what he said in St. Benedict’s commencement speech, Those are his,” Kelce said. “I can’t say I agree with most of it or anything other than just him loving his family and his kids. And I don’t think I should judge him for his views, especially his religious views, of how to live life, that’s not who I am.”

Butker caused a sensation in her speech to Benedictine College graduates when she suggested that women should be homemakers, criticized Pride Month and criticized President Joe Biden and abortion. His comments generated widespread reaction and the FNL distanced itself from the kicker’s comments.

“Harrison Butker gave a speech in a personal capacity,” Jonathan Beane, NFL senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, told CBS News in a statement. “Your opinions of him are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”

Although people online condemned his words, his shirt became one of the best sellers after graduation.

Travis Kelce’s comments echoed those of his top teammate and three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Mahomes said that while he doesn’t agree with all of the beliefs espoused by the 28-year-old Butker, the Chiefs quarterback respects his teammate’s right to make them known.

“I’ve known Harrison for seven years. I judge him by the character he shows every day,” Mahomes said after one of the Chiefs’ voluntary workouts in Kansas City, Missouri. “We’re not always going to agree and there are certain things he said that I don’t necessarily agree with. But I know the person he is and he’s doing what he can to lead people in the right direction.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that although he “talks to Harrison all the time,” he didn’t believe he needed to discuss the commencement speech with his kicker when the team reconvenes in Kansas City.

“We are a microcosm of life here,” Reid said. “We’re from different areas. Different religions. Different races. But we get along. We all respect each other’s opinions, and we don’t necessarily follow them, but we respect that everyone has a voice.”

During Friday’s podcast, Jason Kelce added, “There will always be opinions that everyone shares and that you disagree with.

“And make no mistake, many of the things he said in his commencement speech are not things I align with. But, he’s giving a commencement speech at a Catholic university, and surprisingly, it turns out to be a lot of religious, Catholic speech.

“For me, I can listen to someone talk and really value it, like when they talk about the importance of family and how important a great mother can be, while also recognizing that not everyone needs to be a housewife if that It’s not what they want to do in life.”