Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker was a speaker at Georgia Tech’s graduation and the Super Bowl champion offered advice to the now-graduates about creating a fulfilling life.
Butker, a former Georgia Tech football player, said this while addressing the students, as shared by the Kansas City Star:
Two-time Catholic Super Bowl Champ @buttkicker7 STUNS graduates with most important, unexpected advice:
"In the end— no matter how much money you attain— none of it will matter if you are alone and devoid of purpose… I can offer one controversial antidote that I believe will… pic.twitter.com/NiNNKfWal9
— Danny De Urbina (@dannydeurbina) May 6, 2023
“I am someone not much older than all of you, yet I’ve been asked to speak, not because I am a great orator or because I have a number of impressive accolades, well, I guess I do have two Super Bowl rings. I just happen to be blessed by God to be really good at kicking a funny-shaped ball between two yellow posts. So as someone who is not paid to speak for a living, I’m about to pop off some hard truths.
“I don’t care if you have a successful career. I don’t care if you have a big bank account or you fly private. Many of you in this crowd will achieve these things. Some of you maybe already have, but in the end, no matter how much money you attain, none of it will matter if you are alone and devoid of purpose.”
Butker was quick to note that the graduates’ smarts and work ethic would not be enough to allow them to coast onward in life. What followed next is one of the greatest all-time excerpts from a graduation speech. Butker said:
“It is important to use today as an opportunity to take stock of your mission. Our culture is suffering. We all see it. It doesn’t matter which political persuasion you sit on, or whether you are a person of deep faith or not. Anyone with eyes can see that something is off.
“Studies have shown one of the many negative effects of the pandemic is that a lot of young adults feel a sense of loneliness, anxiety, and depression despite technology that has connected us more than ever before. It would seem the more connected people are to one another, the more they feel alone. I’m not sure the root of this, but at least I can offer one controversial antidote that I believe will have a lasting impact for generations to come. Get married and start a family.”
Butker, a recent Super Bowl champion, was quick to combat ideas that those trophies and other successes have brought long-lasting joy to his life. He continued:
“And yet all of this happiness is temporary. And the truth is none of these accomplishments mean anything compared to the happiness I have found in my marriage and in starting a family. My confidence as a husband and father, and yes, even as a football player is rooted in my marriage with my wife, as we leave our mark on future generations by the children we bring into the world. How much greater of a legacy can anyone leave than that?
“Sadly, we are encouraged to live our lives for ourselves to move from one thing to another with no long-term commitment. To have loyalty for nothing but ourselves and sacrifice only when it suits our own interests. This loneliness is rooted in the lies being sold about self dependence and prioritizing our career over important relationships.”
The featured image is a screenshot from an embedded Tweet.
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