Travis Kelce's fans laud him for 'cherishing' Harrison Butker as 'great teammate' amid backlash over speech

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: Travis Kelce, the latest Kansas City Chiefs player to defend Harrison Butker amid the intense scrutiny the kicker has faced following his commencement speech at a Catholic college in Kansas earlier this month. 

The veteran tight end broached the subject during the most recent episode of the 'New Heights' podcast, alongside his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.

What did Travis Kelce say of Harrison Butker?

According to Fox News, Travis Kelce claimed of Butker who he calls "Harry", "I’ve known him for seven plus years, probably, eight plus years. And I cherish him as a teammate," 

Travis added, "I think Pat [Mahomes] said it best, where — he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate. He’s treated friends and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness, and that’s how he treats everyone."

What did Harrison Butker do?

Harrison Butker, and by extension, the Chiefs, have faced scrutiny following his speech at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, on May 11. 

During the speech, Butker shared his views as a Catholic, touching on sensitive topics such as abortion and the LGBTQ community. 

Notably, he addressed female graduates, emphasizing the significance of homemaking as "one of the most important titles of all." 

Travis Kelce disagrees with ‘majority’ of Harry Butker’s speech

Travis Kelce acknowledged his disagreement with the "majority" of the speech but stressed that he refrains from judgment based on religious beliefs. 

Travis Kelce remarked, "When it comes down to his views and what he said at the St Benedictine’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,"

Travis then expressed gratitude for his family, "My mother and my father both provided for our family. And both my mother and my father made home what it was. So they were homemakers, and they were providers, and they were unbelievable at being present every single day in my life. And I think that was a beautiful upbringing for me,"

He further added, "Now, I don’t think everyone should do it the way my parents did, but I certainly and sure as hell thank my parents and love my parents for being able to provide and making sure that home was what it was,"

Jason Kelce echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the significance Butker placed on family values.

"I don’t think we have enough people talking about the foundations of families and the importance of and the seriousness of parenthood, " Jason remarked, "If you are going to embark on being a parent, I do think it needs to be the most important thing in your life."

Internet praises Travis Kelce for ‘defending’ Harrison Butker publicly

After learning Travis Kelce's perspective on Harrison Butker's recent scrutiny, numerous internet users have shared their comments on Facebook.

One user wrote, "Well if no one has anything bad to say about him then maybe he is just a good person and maybe that is because of the things he believes ……." 

Another added, "It's insane how much attention a man has received for speaking his opinion. This country is so twisted.…" 

The third claimed, "What the heck is wrong with our society! Move on !!" 

The fourth added, "Of course he is…a good, solid, kind & loving man that has a moral compass & some core beliefs different than the radical left loonies out there & I do mean LOONIES! Go Harrison & Travis as well for standing by his friend & teammate" 

The fifth claimed, "Let’s celebrate more things like this. We can all have different values and beliefs and still respect one another"  

The last commented, "Thank you for defending him publicly we should learn to respect and protect other people in public go in and correct their mistakes or actions."

Some Internet users disagree with Travis Kelce for defending Harrison Butker

Some internet users have notably raised questions about Travis Kelce's defending statements for Harrison Butker, "Doesn't matter if he is your teammate or not. Have a backbone or just stay quiet."

Someone else said, "He’s not a good guy. Good guys don’t believe the things he pops off about. You can’t say that shit with a platform and “treat everyone with kindness and respect”. Those are mutually exclusive concepts, bro. Can’t imagine why a wealthy cishet white man in pro sports doesn’t see that stuff as disqualifying when it comes to “goodness”. It’s a case for the goddamn FBI."

Another Reddit user said, "He could have just said ... Nothing. Or just .. "great teammate"

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online