Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel Addresses Harrison Butker's 'Homemaker' Speech
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is the latest NFL figure to comment on Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech.
According to The Blast's previous report, Harrison Butker delivered a commencement speech at Benedictine College, a private Catholic institution in Kansas, earlier this month. During his speech, he implied that a woman's primary "vocation" is motherhood and being a "homemaker," while men "set the tone of the culture."
His speech has since gone viral, stirring up controversy as many are slamming the NFL kicker due to his comments on gender roles.
Harrison Butker Speaks On Gender Roles At 2024 Graduation Speech
In his 2024 commencement speech, Harrison Butker said:
"For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career?
Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."
I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I'm on the stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation.
I'm beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."
He also told the men to "be unapologetic in your masculinity" and to "never settle for what is easy."
Mike McDaniel Speaks Out On Harrison Butker's Controversial Speech
While he is not Butker's head coach, Miami Dolphins' Mike McDaniel was asked about the controversial speech during a recent press conference.
"I think you do have to open the eyes of the players to their platform if they’re new to the situation," McDaniel told reporters. "I think you have to understand that what you say publicly can be fragmented and last with you forever."
He added, "I really emphasize that whatever you’re going to say, you better believe it. You just try to educate people to understand the consequences of whatever they do. They have the freedom of choice, and if they want to go that direction, go right ahead."
Patrick Mahomes Breaks Silence On Harrison Butker's Speech
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and Butker's teammate Patrick Mahomes released a statement regarding the controversial speech.
"I know Harrison. I've known him for seven years and I judge him by the character that he shows every single day and that's a good person," Mahomes said. "That's someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family and wants to make a good impact in society. When you're in a locker room, there's a lot of people from a lot of different areas in life and they have a lot of different views on everything.
The quarterback added, "We're not always going to agree, 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 is trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction. That might not be the same values as I have, but at the same time, I'm going to judge him by the character that he shows every single day."
"That's a great person, and we'll continue to move along and try to help build each other up to make ourselves better every single day," he concluded.
Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Speaks Out
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid released a statement as well.
"I talk to Harrison all the time. I didn't talk to him about this. I didn't think we needed to," Reid said. "We're a microcosm of life. Everybody is from different areas, different religions, different races, and so, we all get along, we all respect each other's opinions and not necessarily do we go by those, but we respect everybody to have a voice."
"It's the great thing about America and we're just, like I said, a microcosm of that. My wish is that everybody could kind of follow that," the head coach added.
What Did The NFL Have To Say?
Shortly after Butker's speech went viral, Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, told PEOPLE Magazine that "His views are not those of the NFL as an organization."
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” Beane, told the magazine. “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
The NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, also broke his silence on Buker's controversial speech. “We have over 3,000 players. We have executives around the league," he said. "They have diversity of opinions and thoughts just like America does. That’s something we treasure."
