Recently, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones defended his teammate Harrison Butker amid backlash from his remarks during a recent commencement speech. Butker, the Chiefs’ kicker, delivered several conservative and faith-related statements.
Butker made statements seemingly praising gender roles, applauding his wife for being a “homemaker.” Furthermore, he touched on other topics such as abortion, LGBT “Pride Month,” and more. Predictably, the Kansas City Chiefs player has received immense backlash from the left and the mainstream media.
However, Jones took to social media, defending his teammate from the incessant criticism. He reacted to a petition that aims to dismiss Butker from the Kansas City Chiefs for what has been described as “discriminatory” comments at the Benedictine College commencement speech.
“I love you [Harrison Butker]! My brotha,” Jones wrote in his post. As of writing this article, the tweet has amassed nearly 5.5 million views. Jones received an outpouring of praise from other social media users for his bravery in standing up for Butker.
Furthermore, Butker has been praised by other prominent figures as well, such as Gracie Hunt, daughter of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. The 25-year-old noted the blessing it was to have a mother who could stay home and raise her children.
Hunt said, “Well, I can only speak from my own experience, which is I’ve had the most incredible mom who could stay home and be with us as kids growing up. And I understand that there are many women out there who can’t make that decision but for me in my life, I know it was really formative in shaping me and my siblings to be who we are.”
Additionally, Gracie’s mother, Tavia, also defended Butker’s comments. She shared a lengthy post on social media offering her congruent opinions toward motherhood and gender roles in the nuclear family. “Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother is not bigoted,” she said. “It’s empowering to acknowledge that a woman’s hard work in raising children is not in vain.”
She continued, “Taking things or parts of speeches out of context. Sound bites overlaid with hateful comments are not what we want to model for our children or others. We need more dialogue (and values IMO) in this country and less hate.”
Moreover, College Football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz noted Butker’s admirable conviction in his faith. “Thank you [Harrison Butker] for standing strong in your faith values. Your commencement speech at Benedictine College showed courage and conviction, and I admire that. Don’t give in,” he said.
Aside from the support from high-profile personalities in the world of football, NFL fans seem to be backing Butker as well. The American Tribune reported that Butker’s jersey became a top seller amid the controversy stemming from his commencement speech. Watch footage from Butker’s speech that has sent shockwaves through the sports and politics communities below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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