Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has revealed that he “cherishes” Harrison Butker as a teammate, but doesn’t agree with the “majority” or “any” of his views following his recent controversial speech.
The Chiefs kicker has been met with severe backlash after his graduation speech at Benedictine College, where he told female graduates they should aim to become a wife and a mother rather than pursue a career. Butker is a Catholic and believes that being a ‘homemaker’ is a crucial life objective for women, but has been labeled as a misogynist.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid both defended Butker, repeatedly stating how he’s a nice person and reminding everyone that not all people share the same views. All eyes have been on Kelce to speak out due to his relationship with singer Taylor Swift, who has a major influence on the younger women’s generation.
Kelce broke his silence on the latest episode of his “New Heights” podcast with brother Jason, offering support to Butker but letting fans know that he doesn’t stand by the same beliefs. “I cherish him as a teammate. I think Pat (Mahomes) said it best where he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate,” he said.
“He’s treated family and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness. And that’s how he treats everyone. When it comes down to his views and what he said at Saint Benedict’s commencement speech, those are his. I can’t say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids.
“And I don’t think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that’s just not who I am. I grew up in a beautiful upbringing of different social classes, different religions, different races, and ethnicities and that’s why I love Cleveland Heights.
“It showed me a broad spectrum, a broad view of a lot of different walks of life. I appreciated every single one of these people for different reasons and I never once had to feel that I needed to judge them based on their beliefs.”