Harrison Butker Makes First Public Comments Since Controversial Speech

A few weeks after sending shockwaves across the country, Harrison Butker broke his silence.

Butker received intense backlash after giving a commencement speech at Benedictine College earlier this month. The Kansas City Chiefs kicker was criticized for a wide range of controversial opinions, including how women should prioritize their ambitions and his stance on Pride Month.

Speaking at a gala in Nashville on Friday night, Butker made his first public comments about the reception of his speech.

“It is now, over the past few days, my beliefs or what people think I believe have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe,” Butker said, per ESPN. “At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion.”

Butker added: “It’s a decision I’ve consciously made and one I do not regret at all.”

The three-time Super Bowl champion is set to enter his eighth season with the Chiefs. He was a team captain for four of his first seven campaigns in Kansas City.