Here’s What Travis Kelce Said About the Controversial Graduation Speech of Kansas City Chiefs Kicker

Travis Kelce may not have agreed with his teammate's divisive graduation address at Benedictine College on May 11, but he believes that everyone has the right to have their own opinion. The Chiefs tight end spoke highly of Butker on Friday's edition of his podcast, New Heights, saying that in his experience, Butker has always treated people with the utmost respect and care.

As reported by HuffPost, Kelce stated, "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."

The 34-year-old player added that his upbringing in Ohio shaped his perspective on people. He shared, "I grew up in a beautiful upbringing of different social classes, different religions, different races, and ethnicities, in Cleveland Heights...It showed me a broad spectrum...a lot of different walks of life. I appreciated every single one of those people for different reasons, and I never once had to feel like I needed to judge them based on their beliefs."

Kelce also discussed how his family's values did not align with Butker's claim that staying at home is "one of the most important titles" for 'all' women. He opined, "My household — my mother and my father both provided for our family. 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 of my life. That was a beautiful upbringing for me. I don’t think everyone should do it the way that my parents did. But...I sure as hell thank my parents and love my parents for being able to provide and making sure that home was what it was."

Butker sparked outrage when, after referencing a Taylor Swift song, he said that women would be happier settling down with a husband and starting a family than advancing their professions. This came after he had already branded Pride Month as a 'deadly sin' and lamented diversity and equality efforts.

As per CBS News, Butker told the graduates that a woman's domestic achievements are more important than her career aspirations. His words sparked an immediate backlash, as netizens flocked to leave scathing comments on Butker's social media handles. 

Photos of Butker in his gameday attire with Bible phrases, posing with conservative leaders, and sharing morsels of Christian wisdom were the mainstays of his Instagram account before his speech. In light of the same, a user wrote, "Have you donated all of your money to the poor like Jesus? Or do you only use religion as a cudgel against women’s rights?" Another commented, "I don’t think people like him should be allowed to speak in public. It’s very embarrassing for the rest of the men and sportsmen. He’s ruining their reputation."