The Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker spoke about his wife, Isabelle Butker, during his commencement speech at Benedictine College on May 11.
Butker and Isabelle share two children. The couple’s son and daughter joined Butker on the field after the Chiefs won the 2023 Super Bowl. Based on Butker’s MDKeller bio, a company he co-founded, the couple has “a third on the way.”
The bio was recently updated, as it notes how Butker “just finished his seventh season with the Chiefs” and is a three-time Super Bowl champion. Interest in Butker’s personal life spiked following his controversial speech.
Ephesians 5:25
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
I will continue to pray for the strength and perseverance to sacrifice for you everyday of our marriage. I love you Izzy!
Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for us
Butker told the graduating students, “I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I’m on this stage today, able to be the man that I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation…
“It cannot be overstated that all 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.
“Isabelle’s dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you ask her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud without hesitation, and say, ‘Hey, no.'”
The NFL distanced itself from Butker’s comments in a written statement to People. Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer wrote, “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. 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.”
Isabelle Revealed She & Harrison Butker Broke Up During College
The night of all nights with @tayronasaurus #prom http://t.co/KwPD3V3Tjw
While Butker attended Georgia Tech, Isabelle attended Tennessee’s Rhodes College, where she earned degrees in computer science and Spanish. Appearing on “The Unraveled Podcast” in 2022, Isabelle revealed they broke up during college.
Isabelle focused on her sorority and playing on the basketball team. During her senior year, “Harrison kinda wasn’t sure that we’d actually be able to have any future relationship,” she said.
“He was just praying for me on my own. And we weren’t talking for a while.” After suffering a torn ACL and the subsequent death of her grandmother, Isabelle described hitting “rock bottom,” which caused her “to reach back out to Harrison.”
“He stopped trying to force anything on me, he was praying for me,” Isabelle said. But following a spiritual experience at Mass on a family vacation, she decided to convert to Catholicism. After she told Butker, they broke down in tears, as he was praying she’d come to that conclusion.
The 28-year-old kicker proposed to Isabelle (née Tehrani) in 2017 and they tied the knot in 2018. While Butker remains active on Instagram and X, Isabelle has since deactivated her accounts.
Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker’s Mother & Sister Both Went to Medical School
Charlotte Butker Nix/FacebookChiefs kicker Harrison Butker wih his sister, Charlotte Butker Nitz, in 2015
Butker told the female graduates at Benedictine, “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.”
However, Butker’s mother and sister both pursued further education after college. Butker’s sister, Charlotte Butker Nitz, graduated from Emory University before studying at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, per her Facebook page. She works as a Physician’s assistant in New York, according to Sharecare.com.
His mother, Elizabeth Keller Butker, is a physicist who works in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. A 2020 Winship Cancer Institute newsletter states that Butker’s mother specializes in brachytherapy and Gamma Knife medical physics care.
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According to Elizabeth’s LinkedIn profile, she earned her bachelor’s degree at Smith College before getting her master’s at Georgia Tech.
In Chiefs’ Mother’s Day tribue in 2020, “Growing up my mom was my biggest supporter, guiding me to be the man I needed to become,” Butker wrote. “Now, I’m so blessed to have my beautiful wife by my side. To witness first hand the amazing mother she is to our son and the many sacrifices she has made for our family is something I will cherish forever.”
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Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker & Wife’s Third Child ‘On the Way’