NEW ORLEANS — Kansas Metropolis Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who tends to be talkative as regards to his Christian religion, briefly went silent on Monday evening when he was requested, “What do you consider gays?”
“I perceive that it is a nice night and we’re right here to give attention to the sport,” Butker stated whereas sitting at a lectern in the course of the Super Bowl opening-night media occasion within the Superdome. “Perhaps if I noticed him and not using a digital camera, we’d have an awesome dialog.”
It has been an eventful yr for the 29-year-old Butker, who joined the Chiefs in 2017 and has been a part of seven consecutive AFC championship video games and 5 journeys to the Tremendous Bowl. He’s chasing his third straight ring and fourth general.
The curler coaster started nearly precisely a yr in the past, when the Chiefs met the 49ers in Las Vegas. Probably the most correct kickers within the NFL saved Kansas Metropolis within the Tremendous Bowl with a trio of subject targets, together with a 57-yarder within the third quarter, earlier than his 29-yarder on the finish of regulation pressured additional time. Kansas Metropolis went on to win, 25-22.
Then got here the offseason, and Butker made a slew headlines off the sphere.
“There’s been lots that’s gone on and I by no means anticipated to be this recognized, I assume, as a kicker,” Butker stated.
Final Might, Butker was requested to ship a graduation tackle at Benedictine School, a personal Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas. Amongst his polarizing remarks, Butker postulated that many of the ladies receiving levels that day had been in all probability extra enthusiastic about getting married and having kids than coming into the workforce, and that some Catholic leaders had been “pushing harmful gender ideologies onto the youth of America.”
Butker additionally assailed Pride month and railed in opposition to then-President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion, forcing the NFL to distance itself from the feedback, saying in an announcement: “His views should not these of the NFL as a company. The NFL is steadfast in our dedication to inclusion, which solely makes our league stronger.”
Because the summer time gave approach to election season, Butker was once more within the highlight for launching his UPRIGHT PAC, which claimed to have a purpose of encouraging Christians to vote for what it described as “conventional values.” The PAC web site was nonetheless lively forward of the Tremendous Bowl and soliciting donations, but it surely doesn’t describe the place or how the cash is spent.
Butker additionally hung out forward of coaching camp in late July campaigning for Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and his insurance policies, forward of the overall election.
Nonetheless, he was caught slightly off guard by what sort of lightning rod for public notoriety he appeared to be heading into the season.
“It was a shock as a result of I’d been saying related issues to that for a few years now and it’s humorous what stuff will get picked up,” Butker stated. “I stated what I stated. I imagine in it. I don’t really feel the necessity to apologize for something. I really feel like God’s ready me for that second to really feel assured in who I’m and what’s most necessary in my life and I’m in a position to deal with no matter comes my approach.”
Jonathan Bachman through Getty Pictures
The season has been a curler coaster, too.
Butker hit a 51-yard subject purpose as time expired to offer Kansas Metropolis a 26-25 win over the Bengals in Week 2. He had three subject targets the next week that proved to be the distinction in a win at Atlanta. And he kicked the go-ahead subject purpose within the fourth quarter of a 16-14 win over the Broncos in mid-November that saved the Chiefs barreling towards the No. 1 seed within the AFC.
After that sport, although, Butker underwent surgical procedure to restore a torn meniscus in his non-kicking knee. The harm and ensuing process affected the way in which he kicks — his left knee bends nearly like a lunge when he hits the ball now — and should have been an enormous motive why, as soon as Butker returned in mid-December, he missed an additional level and subject purpose try in consecutive weeks.
He’s been again on monitor within the playoffs, drilling a trio of subject targets in a divisional-round win over Houston, then hitting the go-ahead 35-yard subject purpose with 3:33 remaining that helped Kansas City beat Buffalo 32-29 in the AFC championship game.
“It’s a optimistic to know you could go on the market and make kicks when it issues,” he stated. “However each sport is totally different.”
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Nonetheless, he’s no stranger to Tremendous Bowls at this level.
“I’ve gotten lots higher to dealing with the nerves main as much as the sport,” Butker stated. “I’ve been right here earlier than. I perceive as soon as the sport begins it’s similar to some other sport. I additionally really feel like I can tempo myself slightly bit so I’m not enjoying the sport (in my head) earlier than it’s really performed.
“Fortunately, I’ve performed in lots of of those video games and I’ve these recollections to return on,” he added. “However clearly you perceive the magnitude of what this sport is.”
