‘Men need to stand for truth’: 3-time Super Bowl champ says society needs strong fathers, men who lead courageously

Society is reversing the roles of men and women to its detriment.  

So says three-time Super Bowl Champion Harrison Butker, who recently offered up a treasure trove of countercultural advice in an interview with EWTN News that aired Friday. 

In 30 minutes, the Kansas City Chiefs kicker answered questions on a wide range of issues, from traditional Latin Mass to Taylor Swift. 

But one of his strongest passions, he said, is to challenge men to step up in society, as fathers and leaders.  

“Men want to be like women and women want to be like men… I’m very passionate about encouraging men to be courageous, to not be afraid to be the leader in the home,” the 28-year-old Butker said. “More men need to not care about what the world says about them. Jesus Christ was radical and said a lot of things that weren’t liked. Men need to stand for truth.” 

And to curb a number of societal ills, Butker emphasized the importance of fatherhood. 

“I think we need strong fathers in the home,” he said. “I think we need men that are leading, that are setting good examples, that are teaching the young men in our society that violence is not the way to handle our disputes.”

Butker acknowledged his own struggles with leading his family well while having NFL obligations, especially on Sundays. 

Over the last few years, he says, he has prioritized family through quality time together, prayer and church attendance.  

Fathers everywhere should do the same because fathers are leaders, he added. And they can’t abdicate that role in the name of comfort. 

“It’s something that we struggle with, I think, a lot of times to go outside of our comfort zone and to say, ‘You know what? God has called me to be a leader, and to lead by example. I’m going to lead my household.” 

In a post on X on Sunday, the Archbishop of Denver, Samuel Joseph Aquila, shared the interview and called it a “must-see for all dads, especially Catholic fathers.” Aquila went on to praise Butker for His bold statements, saying “He provides a great witness of what it means to live your faith in the world. His humility and courage are exemplary! Thank you Harrison for your witness to #JesusChrist!” 

Butker had, in his own words, the best season of His career, in what was likely the most outspoken year of His life. He became the all-time leader in Super Bowl field goals made and kicked the longest field goal in Super Bowl history. He also made waves off the field, wearing a pro-life tie to the White House and writing an open letter standing up against a transgender activist’s funeral service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City which featured a political spectacle calling for gender-affirming health care and calling the deceased biologically male activist the “mother of whores.” 

“We need men that are leading saying, ‘This is not right. This is wrong. As Catholics, we will not accept this.’ We need to take a hard stance. I think sometimes we value what the world says about us instead of what Jesus Christ says about us,” Butker said of the incident.  

As the interview inevitably turned to the requisite questions about Taylor Swift’s involvement in the Chief’s quest for another championship, this year, Butker acknowledged her stardom but reiterated the sentiment he shared in his now-famous speech at Georgia Tech last year: 

“I hope [she and Kelce] get married and start a family.”