Kansas

Kansas City Chiefs kicker defends controversial commencement speech

Published

2 years ago

May 25, 2024

Kansas City Chiefs kicker defends controversial commencement speech

In his first public comments following a controversial speech at a recent college commencement, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker defended his address and emphasized his Catholic faith.

“If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now,” Butker said during a speech at the “Courage Under Fire” gala in Nashville on Friday night.

The Nashville speech was posted to X by right-wing media outlet The Daily Wire.

This is the first time the three-time Super Bowl champion has spoken publicly about his commencement address at Benedictine College, a small Catholic college in Kansas, on May 11. During his address, Butker made comments interpreted by many as homophobic and sexist, including calling Pride Month a “deadly sin” and saying that a woman’s accomplishments in the home are more valuable than any academic or professional goals, among other things.

Friday night’s gala was hosted by Regina Caeli Academy – a hybrid campus/homeschool Catholic school group with several locations across the country. The gala boasted several other speakers including right-wing media personality and host at the Daily Wire, Matt Walsh.

“Over the past few days, my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe,” Butker, who is on the school’s board of directors, said.

Regina Caeli Academy did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

“At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion,” Butker said Friday.

Butker reaffirmed his commitment to his Catholic faith, saying, “Our love for Jesus and thus our desire to speak out should never be outweighed by the longing of our fallen nature to be loved by the world.”

During his speech, Butker referred to Saint Daniel, the biblical prophet who was thrown into a lion’s den for committing to prayer to God, despite a law that condemned worshipers to death.

“I can’t help but tremble at the thought of the courage many saints have shown in their lives,” Butker said.

Daniel was spared by God due to his commitment to faith, according to the Old Testament.

“Would I be so bold if the repercussion was what Daniel faced in being fed to lions? In reality, any courage I’ve shown will lead to some small suffering. And it will lead to some people maybe never liking me, but that could be God’s will,” the Chiefs kicker said.

The NFL issued a statement earlier this month, saying Butker’s comments don’t reflect the views of the league.

Butker’s May 11 speech sparked criticism from LGBT advocacy organization GLAAD, which called his comments “a clear miss” and “woefully out of step with Americans about Pride, LGBTQ people and women.”

The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica monastery, a founding institution and sponsor of Benedictine College, also distanced themselves from Butker’s message. “The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica do not believe that Harrison Butker’s comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested,” they said in a statement. “Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division.”

Fellow Chiefs star, Travis Kelce, recently responded to the commencement address, saying he does not agree with “just about any” of Butker’s views but values him as a teammate.

“I cherish him as a teammate. I think Pat (Mahomes) said it best where he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate,” Kelce said on the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast he hosts with his brother, Jason.

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Kansas

IU football lands Kansas State transfer edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi

Published

8 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

IU football lands Kansas State transfer edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi

Indiana’s portal haul continued to grow Sunday as multiple outlets reported the addition of Kansas State edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi.

Osunsanmi has played in 36 games over the last four years and has 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. Most of that production came over the last two seasons. He has a total of 47 QB pressures during his college career.

In 2025 he played in six games and had 20 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He suffered a season-ending injury in October.

He saw action in all 13 games in 2024 as a reserve defensive end and on special teams, recording 19 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble over 303 defensive snaps and 31 special teams plays.

In 2023 he saw time in all 13 games as a reserve linebacker, a rush end on passing downs and on special teams. He was tied for team-high honors with five tackles on kickoff coverage.

He played in four games in 2022 and preserved his redshirt.

The 6-foot-3 and 250-pound Osunsanmi has one year of eligibility remaining.

The Wichita, Kan. product (Wichita East H.S.) was regarded as the 232nd-best overall player in the nation for the Class of 2022 by 247Sports.

Osunsanmi will help fill the void left by outgoing edge rushers Mikail Kamara, Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley.

More transfer portal information:

For complete coverage of IU football recruiting, GO HERE.

The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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Kansas football transfer portal tracker: Jan. 4 developments for KU

Published

20 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Kansas football transfer portal tracker: Jan. 4 developments for KU

LAWRENCE — The Division I transfer portal window for college football is open from Jan. 2 through Jan. 16, and that means Sunday is another chance for the Kansas football program to shape its roster.

The Jayhawks already gained one public addition earlier this offseason in Grand Valley State transfer Jibriel Conde — whose signing was announced Dec. 4. Conde, who is making the jump up from Division II, is a 247Sports-rated three-star defensive lineman in the portal and is listed by KU as a defensive tackle. On Saturday, a number of current Kansas players — including redshirt freshman quarterback Isaiah Marshall, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Keaton Kubecka and redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Blake Herold — also outlined in social media posts on X that they are locked in with the program for the 2026 season.

Marshall is set to compete for the starting quarterback job next season. Kubecka has the chance to step up into a more significant role at wide receiver. Herold is in line to be a key part of Kansas’ defensive line.

Those positives, though, don’t outweigh the fact that there has been a sizable group of players who have revealed their intentions to transfer away. Looking overall, when it comes to those whose decisions became public before and after the portal opened, the significant names to know include redshirt senior safety Lyrik Rawls, redshirt junior linebacker Trey Lathan and freshman quarterback David McComb. Lathan led KU in tackles in 2025.

Check in here for more updates during this transfer portal window about a KU team that finished 5-7 during the 2025 season, with transfer ratings as outlined by 247Sports.

Kansas football transfer portal additions

Jibriel Conde (3-star defensive lineman from Grand Valley State) — KU lists him as a defensive tackle

Kansas football transfer portal departures

Joseph Sipp Jr. (linebacker)

Jacoby Davis (cornerback)

Dylan Brooks (defensive end)

Jaidyn Doss (wide receiver)

Carter Lavrusky (offensive lineman)

Trey Lathan (linebacker)

Tyler Mercer (offensive lineman)

Harry Stewart III (running back)

Caleb Redd (3-star edge) — KU lists him as a defensive end

Aundre Gibson (3-star cornerback)

David McComb (3-star quarterback)

Kene Anene (3-star interior offensive lineman) — KU lists him as an offensive lineman

Laquan Robinson (3-star safety)

Jameel Croft Jr. (3-star cornerback)

Logan Brantley (3-star linebacker)

Greydon Grimes (3-star offensive tackle) — KU lists him as an offensive lineman

Jon Jon Kamara (3-star linebacker)

Lyrik Rawls (3-star safety)

Damani Maxson (3-star safety)

Jaden Hamm (tight end)

Bryce Cohoon (wide receiver)

JaCorey Stewart (linebacker)

Johnny Thompson Jr. (running back)

Efren Jasso (punter)

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

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