Harrison Butker looking on (left). Serena Williams laughing at ESPYs (right).Harrison Butker and Serena Williams (Photos via Getty Images and @awfulannouncing Twitter)
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has broken his silence on Serena Williams’ savage roast of him during the 2024 ESPYs ceremony on Thursday night.

Two months ago, Harrison Butker made headlines during his commencement speech to students at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. During the speech, Butker made homophobic, misogynistic, antisemitic and sexist comments.

In one portion of the speech, the veteran kicker advised the graduating female students to become “homemakers.”

During the ESPYs, tennis legend Venus Williams advised fans to “enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports.” Her younger sister, Serena, then destroyed the Kansas City kicker.

“Except you, Harrison Butker,” Williams said. “We don’t need you.”

 

According to Minyvonne Burke of NBC News, Harrison Butker responded to Williams’ roast in a statement to the outlet. Though he praised her for being “a great host” at the ESPYs, Butker expressed disappointment in her comment:

“I thought Mrs. Williams was a great host and applaud her for using her platform to express her beliefs on a variety of topics.

“Sports are supposed to be the great unifier and at an event dedicated to celebrating a diverse group of men and women who have accomplished great feats, she used it as an opportunity to disinvite those with whom she disagrees with from supporting fellow athletes.”

 

Harrison Butker was a seventh-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2017, but he never played a game for them. He has spent his entire career with Kansas City, helping them to six straight AFC title games, four Super Bowl appearances and three Lombardi Trophies.

Butker kicked game-winning fields goals in the 2022 AFC Championship Game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals and against the Philadelphia Eagles in the waning seconds of Super Bowl 57.

The Chiefs will open their 2024 season against the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Kickoff Game on Sept. 5.

Chiefs Are Standing By Harrison Butker

There were some calls from fans for the Chiefs to move on from the three-time Super Bowl-winning kicker after his comments went viral. An online petition at Change.org reached over 230,000 signatures.

But teammate and quarterback Patrick Mahomes stated that though he disagreed with some of Butker’s commencement speech comments, stating the 28-year-old kicker is “a good person.”

Head coach Andy Reid also decided to stay neutral when asked about Butker’s comments, citing the importance of freedom in speech and opinion.

Patrick Mahomes’ Mom Had One-Word Reaction To Harrison Butker Doubling Down On His Polarizing Comments

Photo of Harrison Butker on podium and photo of Randi Mahomes smilingHarrison Butker Randi Mahomes (Photo via @realDailyWire/Twitter & Getty Images)
Randi Mahomes, the mother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has offered a reaction to kicker Harrison Butker doubling down on his previous comments.

Butker referenced the polarizing statement he made during a commencement ceremony at Benedictine College earlier this month.

Speaking at the Regina Caeli Academy’s “Courage Under Fire Gala” in Nashville on Friday, the three-time Super Bowl winner stuck to his guns.

“In my seven years in the NFL, I’ve become familiar with positive and negative comments,” he said, per The Daily Wire. “But the majority of them revolve around my performance on the field. But, as to be expected, the more I’ve talked about what I value most, my Catholic faith, the more polarizing I’ve become. It’s a decision I’ve consciously made, and one I do not regret at all.”

Randi reposted a segment of Butker’s latest speech, captioning it “Amen…” with a praying hands emoji.

A user responded, “You literally married a pro athlete…you walked into money. Stay quiet.”

“And was left with none,” she fired back.

Randi has two sons, Patrick and Jackson Mahomes, with former MLB player Patrick Mahomes Sr. She also has a daughter, Mia, from another relationship. She and Patrick Sr. divorced in 2006.

What Did Patrick Mahomes Have To Say About Harrison Butker?

Patrick Mahomes has also shared his take on Harrison Butker’s comments. The Chiefs quarterback spoke to reporters last week. While he made it clear that he didn’t agree with everything his teammate said at the college, he supported him.

“When you’re in the locker room, there’s a lot of people from a lot of different areas of life, and they have a lot of different views on everything. And we’re not always gonna agree,” he pointed out.

“And there’s certain things that he said that I don’t necessarily agree with. But I understand the person that he is, and he’s trying to do whatever he can to try to lead people in the right direction. And that might not be the same values as I have, but at the same time, I’m gonna judge him by the values that he shows every day, and that’s a great person.”