Harrison Butker (born July 14, 1995) is an American professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
placekicker
In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...
for the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The teams have also been nicknamed the ...
, and was selected by the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
in the seventh round of the
2017 NFL draft
The 2017 NFL draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...
. Butker is one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history in career
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...
percentage (minimum 100 attempts). He led the NFL in scoring in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, and has won three
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
s with the Chiefs.
Early life
Butker was born on July 14, 1995, to Harrison Butker Sr. and Elizabeth Keller Butker, and was raised in
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur () is a city and the county seat of DeKalb County, Georgia, DeKalb County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, th ...
. He has an older sister.
Butker's maternal grandfather, James W. Keller, held faculty positions in oncology at
Emory University
Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...
for 28 years.
His mother, Elizabeth Keller Butker, has been a clinical medical physicist at Emory since 1988.
Butker went to
The Westminster Schools
The Westminster Schools is a Kindergarten–12 private school in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, founded in 1951.
History
Westminster originated in 1951 as a reorganization of Atlanta's North Avenue Presbyterian School (NAPS), a girls' school ...
, where he played on the
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team after picking up the sport as a rising sophomore.
Butker broke the school record (at the time) for a
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...
of 53 yards. He was a three-sport athlete in basketball, football, and soccer, winning three state championships in soccer. Butker was also a
tuba
The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...
player for the school's symphonic band.
College career
Before pursuing football, Butker played soccer at Georgia Tech.
Butker played at Georgia Tech from 2013 through 2016 under head coach
Paul Johnson.
Butker is the all-time leading scorer in school history and was a captain of the team for his senior season. In his collegiate career, Butker converted 208-of-210
extra point
Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film
* The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film
Literature
* Extra (newspaper), ...
attempts and 43-of-60 field goal attempts.
He graduated with a bachelor's degree in
industrial engineering
Industrial engineering (IE) is concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment and energy. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, an ...
.
Professional career
Carolina Panthers
The
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
selected Butker in the seventh round (233rd overall) in the
2017 NFL draft
The 2017 NFL draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...
. On May 5, 2017, Butker signed a four-year, $2.48 million contract that included a
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $83,112. He was waived on September 13, 2017, and was signed to the
practice squad
In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...
the next day.
Kansas City Chiefs
2017 season

On September 26, 2017, Butker was signed by the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
off the Panthers' practice squad.
Butker made his debut during a Week 4 29–20 victory over the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
on ''
Monday Night Football
''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
''. Butker missed his first career field goal attempt of 46 yards, but made his next three attempts, including the game-winner. In the next game against the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
, Butker made all five of his field goal attempts during the 42–34 road victory. Three weeks later against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
, he converted five field goals in the 29–19 victory, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. For the month of October, he was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month.
During a Week 16 29–13 victory over the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, Butker converted five field goals, earning him his second AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.
Butker finished his rookie season converting 28 extra point attempts and 38-of-42 field goal attempts. Butker was named as an alternate to the
2018 Pro Bowl
The 2018 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2017 NFL season, 2017 season, which was played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on January 28, 2018. For the first time since 2009, the game started during af ...
. He finished the season tied for fourth in scoring with
Chris Boswell
Christopher Lynn Boswell (born March 16, 1991) is an American professional football placekicker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rice Owls and was signed by the Houston Texans ...
with 142 points.
2018 season
During a Week 2 42–37 victory over the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
, Butker converted a career-high six extra points.
He finished his second professional season converting 65 of 69 extra point attempts and 24-of-27 field goal attempts.
2019 season

On April 15, 2019, Butker signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Chiefs. The tender gave Butker a one-year contract worth $645,000. On June 13, 2019, he signed a five-year extension worth $20.3 million.
During a Week 9 26–23 victory over the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
, Butker made four field goals, including a 44-yard game-winner, earning him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Butker was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November. He led the NFL in regular season field goals with 34 made field goals and finished the regular season with 45-of-48 extra points converted and 34-of-38 field goals converted.
On December 8, 2019, Butker converted his 89th field goal in his 100th career attempt, which is the minimum amount of field goal attempts to qualify for career percentage for NFL records. He finished this game against the Miami Dolphins with three field goals made in three attempts, which made him 90-for-101 in his career, for a career field goal percentage of 89.109%, which gave him the second best percentage in NFL history, trailing only Baltimore's
Justin Tucker
Justin Paul Tucker (born November 21, 1989) is an American professional football kicker. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012, spending 13 seasons with the ...
, who at that time had converted 260 field goals in 287 attempts in his career for a percentage of 90.592%.
Butker won his first Super Bowl in
Super Bowl LIV
Super Bowl LIV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 NFL season, 2019 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2019 Kansas City Chiefs season, Kansas City ...
. During the 31–20 victory over the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, Butker converted all four extra point attempts and his only field goal attempt, a 31-yarder in the second quarter.
2020 season
During a Week 2 23–20 overtime victory over the
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...
, Butker made all three field goal attempts he had in the game, including a game tying 30-yard field goal as time expired in regulation and the game winning and franchise record tying 58-yard field goal in overtime. The longest field goal record was broken in 2022 while Butker was injured. For his performance, Butker was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. After his fifth missed extra point of the season in a Week 7 game against the Broncos, Butker set a career high for missed extra points in a season despite only attempting 24 extra points up to that point.
Butker finished the 2020 season converting 25-for-27 field-goal attempts and 48-for-54 on extra-point attempts. During
Super Bowl LV
Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...
, Butker scored all of the Chiefs' points in the 31–9 loss to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
.
2021 season
Butker was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on December 20, 2021 after testing positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. Due to the NFL's COVID-19 protocols, he missed the Chiefs' Week 16 game against the Steelers. It was the first game of his career Butker missed. He was activated on December 29, 2021. In the 2021 season, Butker appeared in 16 games and converted 47-of-49 extra point attempts and 25-of-28 field goal attempts.
In the
divisional round against the Buffalo Bills, Butker converted a 49-yard game-tying field goal in regulation to force overtime during the 42–36 victory.
2022 season
During the season-opening 44–21 road victory over the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
, Butker made a 54-yard field goal and all four extra point attempts despite suffering an ankle injury. The day before the Chiefs' Week 2 game against the Chargers, he was ruled out due to the ankle injury. Butker was inactive for the Chiefs next four games. In his first game back from the injury against the Bills, Butker broke the Chiefs' franchise record for longest field goal for the second time (his previous record of 58 had been broken while he was injured) with a 62-yard field goal. It was the 15th field goal in NFL history 62 yards or longer.
In his first five games after returning from injury, Butker missed an extra point or a field goal in each of those games, the longest such streak of his career. Butker ended the streak making all three field goal attempts and all three extra point attempts in Week 11 against the Chargers. Due to the injury, with the missed time and the injury causing kicking issues, Butker had what was statistically the worst season of his career. Butker had a career low field goal percentage (75%), a career high in misses (6), and a career low in attempts (24). In the
AFC Championship Game
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal NFL playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football lea ...
, Butker hit a 45-yard game winning field goal to defeat the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
23–20 to send the Chiefs to
Super Bowl LVII
Super Bowl LVII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2022 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Confere ...
. In the Super Bowl, Butker kicked a 27-yard game winning field goal with 11 seconds in the fourth quarter to give the Chiefs a 38–35 victory over the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
to win his second Super Bowl in his career.
2023 season

Butker began the season making his first 24 field goals before his first miss in Week 15. During a Week 17 25–17 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, Butker went 6-for-6 on field goals and was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance. His six field goals made set a career high. Butker finished the season making 33-of-35 attempts, tying a career low for missed field goals and setting a career high in field goal percentage with 94.3%. Butker made all 12 of his attempts from over 40 yards, including his second successful field goal from over 60 yards. Butker did not miss a single extra point attempt for the second time in his career. Butker's performance in the 2023 season moved him back into second place in NFL history in career field goal percentage (minimum 100 attempts).
In
Super Bowl LVIII
Super Bowl LVIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2023 NFL season, 2023 season. A rematch of Super Bowl LIV four years prior, the American Football Conference (AFC) 20 ...
, Butker broke two Super Bowl records: longest made field goal in
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
history (57) and most career field goals in the Super Bowl (9).
The Chiefs won in overtime 25–22. The win gave Butker his third Super Bowl victory and his second consecutive win. The win made Butker the fourth kicker in NFL history with three Super Bowl wins.
2024 season
On August 5, 2024, the Chiefs re-signed Butker to a four-year, $25.6 million extension.
On November 14, Butker suffered a knee injury during practice and was placed on injured reserve the next day. While on injured reserve, Butker moved from third to first place in all-time field goal percentage. At the time of his injury, Butker had made 215 of 241 field goal attempts for a percentage of 89.212%. He was third behind Carolina's
Eddy Piñeiro
Eddy Piñeiro Jr. ( ; (born September 13, 1995) is an American professional American football, football placekicker. He played college football at Florida Gators football, Florida, and signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in ...
(89.744%) and Baltimore's
Justin Tucker
Justin Paul Tucker (born November 21, 1989) is an American professional football kicker. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012, spending 13 seasons with the ...
(89.371%). On December 1, Piñeiro went 3-for-5 in Carolina's game against Tampa Bay to fall to 88.525% and from first to third, while Tucker also fell behind Butker, going 2-for-4 in Baltimore's game against Philadelphia, falling to 89.032%, but remaining in second behind Butker and ahead of Piñeiro. On December 14, he was activated from injured reserve.
Butker held the top spot for two weeks and when he returned from injury against the Browns the next day, Butker went 0-for-1 in field goal attempts, and his percentage fell to 88.843%, falling behind Tucker, who attempted no field goals in his Week 15 game at the Giants and remained at 89.032%. Despite the struggles, the Chiefs reached
Super Bowl LIX
Super Bowl LIX was an American football championship game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2024 NFL season, 2024 season. In a rematch of Super Bowl LVII two years prior, the National Football Conf ...
where they lost 40–22 to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
, where Butker did not attempt a field goal or PAT.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
NFL record
* Field goals made by a rookie: 38
Super Bowl records
* Longest field goal in the Super Bowl: 57 yards (2024)
* Career field goals in the Super Bowl: 9
Chiefs franchise records
* Field goals made, season: 38 (2017)
* Points by a rookie: 142
* Points by a kicker, season: 142 (2017)
* Longest field goal: 62 yards (2022)
* Career field goal percentage (minimum 50 attempts): 89.1%
Personal life
Butker is married with three children. He is the co-founder, president, and
chief operating officer
A chief operating officer (COO), also called chief operations officer, is an executive in charge of the daily operations of an organization (i.e. personnel, resources, and logistics). COOs are usually second-in-command immediately after the C ...
of MDKeller. One of the companies that Butker co-founded as a subsidiary of MDKeller is Shepherd's, which specializes in custom menswear.
Views
Religious beliefs
Butker is a devout
Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholicism is a movement that emphasizes beliefs, practices, customs, traditions, liturgical forms, devotions and presentations of teaching associated with the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). ...
. Butker has publicly spoken out against ''
Traditionis custodes'', saying that he felt that he and other
traditionalist Catholics were "persecuted" in the Church.
Comments about Jews
In May 2024, Butker gave a commencement address at
Benedictine College
Benedictine College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas, United States. It was established in 1971 by the merger of St. Benedict's College (founded 1858) for men and Mount St. Scholastica College (founded 1923) for ...
. The speech was met by applause and a standing ovation from the audience. Among other topics, he criticized a provision of a bill condemning
antisemitism
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
as overly broad. Butker said, "We fear speaking truth, because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority. Congress just passed a bill where stating something as basic as the biblical teaching of who killed Jesus could land you in jail".
Dave Zirin
Dave Zirin (; born 1974), is an American political sportswriter. He is the sports editor for ''The Nation'', a weekly progressive magazine dedicated to politics and culture, and writes a blog named ''Edge of Sports: the weekly sports column by ...
of ''
The Nation
''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...
'' condemned Butker's comments as antisemitic. Yvette Walker of the ''
Kansas City Star
''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes.
''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and a ...
'' also criticized Butker's speech.
Comments about women in the workforce
Butker was the
commencement speaker
A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called commencement, congregation, convocation or invocation. The date of the graduation ...
at his alma mater,
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...
, in 2023. He received widespread attention for his exhortation to "get married and start a family."
During Butker's 2024 address at
Benedictine College
Benedictine College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas, United States. It was established in 1971 by the merger of St. Benedict's College (founded 1858) for men and Mount St. Scholastica College (founded 1923) for ...
, he said:
Several articles highlighted that Butker's mother, Elizabeth Keller Butker, has been a clinical
medical physicist
A medical physicist is a health professional with specialist education and training in the concepts and techniques of applying physics in medicine and competent to practice independently in one or more of the subfields (specialties) of medical phys ...
at
Emory University
Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...
and holds two university degrees.
His speech, which included other personal and political opinions, was met with controversy.
On May 15, 2024, in response to Butker's comments and the ensuant backlash, NFL senior vice president and
chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane told ''
People
The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' in a written statement: "His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger." ''
Outsports
''Outsports'' is a sports news website concerned with LGBTQ issues and personalities in amateur and professional sports. The company was founded in 1999 by Cyd Zeigler, Jr. and Jim Buzinski.
''The Outsports Revolution'' ( Alyson Publications), ...
'' wrote, "One of the worst parts of this NFL player's awful speech is that he quoted a
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
song before telling women they should be homemakers and serve their man's career."
On his ''
New Heights
''New Heights'' (also referred to as ''New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce'') is a weekly sports podcast hosted by brothers Jason Kelce, former center for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. It is p ...
'' podcast,
Travis Kelce
Travis Michael Kelce ( ; born October 5, 1989) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NF ...
said he did not agree with "just about any" of Butker's views but did "cherish" him as a teammate.
Others were supportive of Butker's remarks. Hunter Estes, communications director for
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
governor
Tate Reeves
Jonathan Tate Reeves (born June 5, 1974) is an American politician serving as the 65th List of governors of Mississippi, governor of Mississippi since 2020. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Reeves served as the ...
, tweeted a portion of Butker's message, "Be unapologetic in your masculinity. Fight against the cultural
emasculation
Emasculation is the removal of the external male sex organs, which includes both the penis and the scrotum, the latter of which contains the testicles. It is distinct from castration, where only the testicles are removed. Although the terms are ...
of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy", and added, "This is indeed a brave and rebellious message for our current age. The world needs more good men like Harrison Butker." Tavia Hunt, the director of the Kansas City Chiefs Women's Organization and wife of Chiefs CEO
Clark Hunt
Clark Knobel Hunt (born February 19, 1965) is an American billionaire and businessman as well as a scion of the wealthy Hunt family. He currently serves as chairman and CEO of the National Football League (NFL)'s Kansas City Chiefs, Major League ...
, wrote on Instagram, "Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother, is not bigoted. It is empowering to acknowledge that a woman's hard work in raising children is not in vain."
Anti-abortion advocacy
Butker supported the
2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment
The 2022 Kansas abortion referendum was a rejected legislatively referred constitutional amendment to the Kansas Constitution that appeared on the ballot on August 2, 2022, alongside primary elections for statewide offices, with early voting f ...
, which would have overridden a 2019
Kansas Supreme Court
The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Marla Luckert, the court supervises the legal profession, administers the judicial branch, and serves as t ...
ruling that the
Kansas constitution
The Wyandotte Constitution is the constitution of the U.S. state of Kansas. Amended many times (including a universal suffrage amendment in 1912), the Wyandotte Constitution is still the constitution of Kansas.
Background
The Kansas Territory wa ...
guarantees the
right to abortion
Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as Pro-choice and pro-life, pro-choice movements, are Social movement, movements that advocate for Abortion law, legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to re ...
. In 2023, Butker wore an
anti-abortion
Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its Abortion by country, legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in r ...
tie while attending the Chiefs'
Super Bowl LVII
Super Bowl LVII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2022 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Confere ...
victory celebration at
The White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 whe ...
in protest of President
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
's
pro-choice
Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their ...
views.
Anti-LGBTQ comments
In a March 2024 interview with the ''
Catholic News Agency
The Catholic News Agency (CNA) is a news service owned by Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) that provides news related to the Catholic Church to a global Anglophone audience. It was founded in 2004 in Denver, Colorado, United States as the ...
'', Butker condemned the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
for burying the recently deceased
transgender rights
The legal status of transgender people varies greatly around the world. Some countries have enacted laws protecting the rights of transgender individuals, but others have criminalized their gender identity or expression. In many cases, transg ...
advocate
Cecilia Gentili. In his 2024 commencement speech to Benedictine College, while advocating for a more conservative form of Catholicism, he called
Pride Month
Pride Month, sometimes specified as LGBTQ Pride Month, is a List of month-long observances, month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender a ...
an example of the "
deadly sins
The seven deadly sins (also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins) function as a grouping of major vices within the teachings of Christianity. In the standard list, the seven deadly sins according to the Catholic Church are pride, greed ...
".
Former Kansas City commissioner Justice Horn criticized Butker, writing that he "doesn't represent Kansas City nor has he ever. Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms and embraces our
LGBTQ+
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group i ...
community members."
Political beliefs
Butker's 2024 address to the graduating class of Benedictine College covered a number of his political beliefs. In the speech, Butker condemned President Biden's stance on abortion. He also attacked Biden's response to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
,
IVF
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation in which an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating the ovulatory process, then removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from t ...
,
surrogacy
Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby a woman gets pregnant and gives birth on behalf of another person or couple who will become the child's legal parents after birth. People pursue surrogacy for a variety of reasons such as infertility, danger ...
, the
LGBTQ community
The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individu ...
and
Pride Month
Pride Month, sometimes specified as LGBTQ Pride Month, is a List of month-long observances, month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender a ...
,
women in the workforce
Since the Industrial Revolution, participation of women in the workforce outside the home has increased in industrialized nations, with particularly large growth seen in the 20th century. Largely seen as a boon for industrial society, women ...
,
diversity, equity, and inclusion
In the United States, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are organizational frameworks that seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject ...
, and a bill condemning antisemitism.
On October 11, 2024, Butker endorsed former president
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
for the
2024 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's Ticket (election), ticket—Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of ...
. He cited Trump's anti-abortion record as his reason for endorsing him.
Notes
See also
*
Most accurate kickers in NFL history
This article contains a full list of the 50 most accurate kickers in NFL history. Justin Tucker has the most accurate field goal percentage (FG%) in the National Football League, hitting successful field goals 89.1% of the time during officia ...
References
External links
Kansas City Chiefs bioGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets bio*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butker, Harrison
1995 births
Living people
21st-century American sportsmen
21st-century Roman Catholics
American football placekickers
American traditionalist Catholics
Carolina Panthers players
Catholics from Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football players
Kansas City Chiefs players
Players of American football from Decatur, Georgia
The Westminster Schools alumni