News
Featured Image
Harrison ButkerRumble

(LifeSiteNews) — Two-time Super Bowl winning kicker Harrison Butker dropped what he called “some hard truths” on graduates of Georgia Tech University last weekend for which he has been praised by conservatives and Christians alike on social media.

“I can offer one controversial antidote that I believe will have a lasting impact for generations to come: get married and start a family,” the 27-year-old said to applause during his commencement speech Saturday.

Alluding to his professional accolades, Butker, an alumnus of the school, remarked that “none of these accomplishments mean anything compared to the happiness I have found in my marriage and in starting a family.”

Butker added that the wedding band he wears is the “most important ring” he owns, even more than the ones he has from the Kansas City Chiefs for his Super Bowl victories.

Butker’s remarks are particularly timely given current demographic trends. As reported by The Federalist, “fewer than half of U.S. households are comprised of married couples (and the majority of those are households without children). In 2018, more than a third of Americans between the ages of 25 and 50 had never been married, and a quarter of young people may never marry in their lives.”

The outlet also found that “nearly 1 in 5 adults aged 55-64 in 2018 was childless. In a Pew survey, nearly half (44 percent) of ‘non-parents ages 18 to 49’ said they weren’t likely to have kids.”

Butker’s impassioned defense of traditional Christian values comes at a time when commencement speakers are all too often chosen by colleges to show their support for the woke agenda. While Georgia Tech is not especially known for being particularly conservative, Butker noted that the school’s Catholic Center helped him grow in his faith.

“As a young man on this campus, it was the Catholic Center that laid the foundation for me to prioritize meaningful relationships and become the husband and father I am today. While I’m still striving to be a better, more virtuous man, I’m confident that with God, and my wife by my side, I can do more than I could ever have imagined alone.”

As an undergraduate, Butker inscribed his name into Yellow Jackets lore by hitting a game-tying 53-yard field goal against rival Georgia in 2014 with four seconds remaining. In overtime, Tech beat the ninth-ranked Bulldogs 30-24, with Butker forever being associated with what has since been called “The Kick.”

Since being selected as the 233rd overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, he has maintained the ability to deliver clutch performances at the professional level.

In the 2023 Super Bowl, he drilled the game-winning field goal with seven seconds remaining. He was seen wearing a scapular, a Catholic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, around his neck during the game.

In the AFC Championship just weeks beforehand, he hit a game-winning 43-yard field goal with three seconds left on the clock. On both occasions, he gave “glory to God” for his performances.

During his nearly 10-minute speech Saturday, Butker took aim at cancel culture, noting that there is a “war on truth” taking place. He also discussed the negative impact technology has had on society and urged graduates to not isolate themselves from others.

“Gone are the days when a plurality of thought was accepted and encouraged. Instead, freedom of thought has been replaced by a culture built on cancellations for those who disagree,” he said. “Identity politics has caused us to look at one another through a prism of hate and lack of respect for the human person. It seems the days of seeing the value of others may be gone.”

“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,” he continued. “It would seem the more connected people are to one another, the more they feel alone.”

“Sadly,” he added, “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.”

“In the end, no matter how much money you attain, none of it will matter if you are alone and devoid of purpose.”

“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.”

Butker is a father to two young children. He regularly serves Mass at his home parish. A strong supporter of the Latin Mass, he has, on multiple occasions, called on Pope Francis to stop cracking down on the older liturgy, which has its roots in the 3rd century. He appeared in the massively popular Mass of the Ages documentary in 2022 and is one of a handful of high-profile NFL players to openly refuse the COVID-19 shot.

5 Comments

    Loading...