Kansas City Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker did not walk back any of the comments he made in his controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College last May.

During a Super Bowl opening night news conference Monday, Butker was asked if any of the views he shared in the speech – which included alluding to homosexuality as a ‘deadly sins sort of pride’ and that one of a woman’s most important roles is that of ‘homemaker’ – had changed after the initial controversy and response.

The answer, apparently, was no. Butker instead mentioned that his speech ‘opened up a lot of good conversations’ with teammates and that ‘all the guys understood where I was coming from.’

‘God has given me this platform and I’m going to say what I believe to be true and what I hold close to my heart,’ Butker said at Super Bowl opening night. ‘(My Chiefs teammates) respect me. They respect what I have to say. And I have nothing to apologize for.’

Some of those teammates, like quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, were diplomatic in their responses in the days immediately after the controversial speech. Neither player backed up Butker’s views outright but instead focused on his character. Mahomes called him a ‘good person,’ and Kelce said he was ‘every bit of a great person and great teammate.’

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Head coach Andy Reid shared a similar sentiment; he didn’t fully back Butker – though Reid did say he didn’t ‘think he was speaking ill to women’ – while saying the kicker was free to have his own opinions.

In the immediate aftermath of Butker’s commencement speech, the NFL also distanced itself from his comments. Jonathan Beane, the league’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, said in a statement that ‘(Butker’s) views are not those of the NFL’ and that the league was ‘steadfast to our commitment of inclusion.’

Still, Butker said Monday that he maintains the same perspective that he initially shared last May, even in the wake of the immediate and lasting backlash. He said his decision to publicly share those views in the first place was a matter of confidence and that the ‘outside noise’ has not deterred him since.

‘In order for me to share that message, I had to be confident. I’m a husband and a father before anything else,’ Butker said. ‘I love playing football with the guys, but sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by outside noise.

‘In some ways, it’s not reality. It’s not conversations we have with neighbors. Sometimes we have to detach from social media because it can feel like the whole world is coming at you. Everyone experiences that on different scales. We have to focus on what’s most important.’

Butker and the Chiefs will kick off Super Bowl 59 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

For the first time since 2021, the Super Bowl will not feature the ‘end racism’ message written in the back of one of the end zones.

The Super Bowl 59 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will instead include the phrases ‘Choose Love’ and ‘It Takes All of Us’ behind the end zones at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

McCarthy said the choice of messages was made in response to several deadly tragedies throughout the United States since the start of the new year.

‘The Super Bowl is often a snapshot in time and the NFL is in a unique position to capture and lift the imagination of the country,’ McCarthy said in a statement. ‘ ‘Choose Love’ is appropriate to use as our country has endured in recent weeks wild fires in southern California, the terrorist attack here in New Orleans, the plane and helicopter crash near our nation’s capital and the plane crash in Philadelphia.’

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McCarthy noted that the AFC championship game, hosted by the Chiefs, did not feature the ‘end racism’ slogan while the NFC championship game, hosted by the Eagles, did.

The league began stenciling in ‘end racism’ behind end zones starting with the season openers in 2020 as part of its ‘Inspire Change’ initiative, with the efforts expanding in 2021. The Athletic reported that the decision not to utilize the slogan for Super Bowl 59 was relayed to ‘high-level’ league employees earlier this week.

In his Monday news conference, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league would not scale back its diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies even as many other corporations have scaled back their operations, particularly since the election of President Donald Trump.

‘We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League, and we’re going to continue those efforts because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, I think we’ve proven ourselves that it does make the NFL better,’ Goodell said. ‘So, we’re not in this because it’s a trend to get in or a trend to get out of it; our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League, both on and off the field, as I said previously.

‘And we see that. We see how it’s benefited the National Football League. And so, I think we’ll continue those efforts. I think it’s also clearly a reflection of our fan base and our communities and our players.’

Tom Brady will receive a partial Super Bowl-only waiver of the conflict-of-interest rules the NFL put in place when he became a TV analyst for Fox Sports.

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt told reporters Tuesday that the NFL has relaxed some of the so-called ‘Brady Rules’ it enacted when Brady became a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

In his first season as a member of Fox’s top NFL broadcast team, Brady was not allowed to visit other teams’ practice facilities, attend meetings or take part in Fox’s pregame production meetings with players and coaches – a policy that was put in place because Hunt and other owners were concerned about the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback having access to inside information from Raiders opponents.

For Super Bowl 59, Brady will be able to join his network colleagues in meetings with the Chiefs.

‘Since he’s doing the game this week, we have no issue with him being in our production meetings,’ Hunt said. ‘He’ll have the access that any broadcaster would have.”

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The Athletic also reports Brady will be able to do the same in meetings with the Eagles, although he will still be prohibited from attending either team’s practices.

During NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s annual pre-Super Bowl news conference he said Brady and the league have been very careful to address any potential problems.

‘Tom has been incredibly cooperative,’ Goodell said. ‘He calls frequently about (the restrictions) and says, ‘Am I doing OK?’ And I think he’s serious about making sure he separates these two (jobs) and doesn’t put the league or anyone in a position of conflict.’

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NEW ORLEANS — Super Bowl 59 week is underway in the Big Easy, a historic city filled with vibrant culture and decadent cuisine, from oysters to Po-boys, beignets and even fried alligator. But alligators are friends, not food, according to Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back/fullback Carson Steele. 

Steele’s 15-year-old pet alligator Crocky-J was first introduced to the world during the Chiefs’ 22-17 Week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons, when Steele recorded 17 carries for 72 yards in his first NFL start. Crocky-J has since developed a cult following and has become the unofficial mascot of the back-to-back champion Chiefs, who are going for a historic three-peat against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday.

Crocky-J, who resides in a large tank in Steele’s childhood home in Greenwood, Indiana, unfortunately won’t be on hand to watch the Chiefs’ attempt at history. (‘I didn’t know where to put him,’ Steele said.) Instead, Crocky-J will be ‘watching’ from home.

‘He’s back in Indy, but we got a TV turned on for him to make sure he’s watching,’ Steele told USA TODAY Sports on Monday evening at Super Bowl Opening Night. ‘He’s going to have to watch himself for a few days, because a lot of people are coming here (to New Orleans), but we’ll make sure he’s fed well good, so he’ll be all right.’

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Crocky-J joined the family when Steele was in second or third grade, he recalls. 

‘I was always a daredevil kid, so I wanted something cool. I asked for a reptile or turtle. My mom was a big no on snakes,’ Steele said. ‘A couple days before Christmas, a UPS guy knocked on the door and he had a package that said ‘live reptile’ on it. I was freaking out because I knew Santa had brought me something cool. I opened the package up and there he was in a burlap sack.’

Steele knows an alligator isn’t your average pet, but he doesn’t consider himself a normal running back. 

Steele has always been known for his eccentric flair (and equally impressive hair). He started his collegiate career in 2021 at Ball State, where his sheer strength and ability to squat 600+ pounds as a true freshman earned him the ‘most interesting man in CFB’ title. (His Ball State bio reads, ‘Son of Joseph and Angela Steele … has one sister … owns a pet alligator,’ after all.) Steele was named the team’s most outstanding freshman on offense after recording 192 carries for 891 yards and six touchdowns, and he upped the ante his sophomore campaign with a conference-leading 289 carries for 1,556 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022.

Steele transferred to UCLA in 2023 and turned in another 1,000-plus yards from scrimmage. He signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL draft and is now one win away from a Super Bowl victory in his rookie season.

‘Man it’s awesome. Loving it so far. Some of these guys have been here for a second, but my first time has been great,’ said Steele, who finished the regular season with 56 carries for 183 yards. Steele said he’s focusing on ‘little detail things to relax and calm down and take it one play at a time’ as he prepares for his first Super Bowl. 

‘Just take it as a regular game. Obviously it’s not a regular game. It’s a big moment, so you got to make big moment type of plays,’ Steele said, ‘but (the Eagles) are putting on the pads the same way you are. It’s the same game ever since you’ve been a kid.’

One part of his childhood that keeps him grounded is Crocky-J. When asked about his pet alligator’s new fame, which has spawned everything from Halloween customs and custom shirts, Steele joked, ‘I don’t think he knows it, unfortunately. I’ve been trying to tell him every once in a while, but it’s super cool to see everybody enjoy him.’

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NEW ORLEANS – Saquon Barkley is steadfast on his opinion about who the top running back in NFL history is.  

“I think Barry Sanders is the best running back, best player to ever touch a football of all time,” Barkley said.

Barkley has a chance to achieve a few notable milestones that the Detroit Lions Hall of Fame running back never accomplished: win a Super Bowl and become the NFL’s all-time single-season rushing leader, including the playoffs.

Barkley, who’s produced 2,447 rushing yards, is just 30 yards shy from eclipsing Denver Broncos Hall of Famer Terrell Davis’ 2,476-yard, single-season rushing record (including playoffs) that Davis set in 1998.

It’s a record that many around NFL circles believe is more prestigious than the NFL regular season rushing record.

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“It’s more impactful – if you can win a Super Bowl, especially win a Super Bowl and break the record at the same time,” former NFL running back Jonathan Stewart, who was teammates with Barkley on the New York Giants in 2018, told USA TODAY Sports. “If he’s able to break the record and win a Super Bowl, that’s like the best of both of both worlds.”

The irony is, Barkley had an opportunity to break Los Angeles Rams Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson’s 1984 regular season rushing record of 2,105 yards. Barkley was 101 yards from passing Dickerson’s mark, but the Eagles elected not to play Barkley and other key players in Week 18.  

Dickerson’s record-setting year helped the Rams get to the playoffs, but Los Angeles lost in the wild-card round. Davis’ all-encompassing rushing record propelled the Broncos to a Super Bowl 33 win.

Like Davis, Barkley’s historic season on the ground can be the catalyst to the Philadelphia Eagles winning a Super Bowl.

“If you don’t have him, and if we don’t have the plays that he’s made this year, I don’t know if we’re here,” Eagles running back coach Jemal Singleton told USA TODAY Sports. “And I’m OK saying that, because of the type of year and the type of young man he is. He’s been unbelievable. And not only on the field, his off-the-field presence has been unbelievable in the locker room (and) people in the building. You won’t find a person that doesn’t speak highly of Saquon Barkley. That’s how great he is.”

Barkley’s been everything the Eagles have hoped since the team signed him during the 2024 free agency period. The seventh-year running back rushed for a Eagles franchise record and NFL-high 2,005 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in the regular season. His 442 yards and five rushing touchdowns in the playoffs are both postseason highs. He has seven 60-plus yard touchdowns, including the playoffs, this year, which is the most in NFL history.

He’s a candidate for both NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

“Saquon is special. He’s a humble enough person that I can tell him that,” Singleton said. “I think he’s one of those guys that you have now added a blend of size, you’ve added a blend of speed, but you’ve also added a blend of lateral mobility. It’s very rare that a back has all of that. Usually it’s, ‘Hey, he’s a home run hitter with straight line speed, but maybe his lateral mobility is not as good,’ or, ‘Hey, he’s strong and can run through some tackles, but his top end speeds like that.’ Saquon has all of them.”

In poetic fashion, Super Bowl 59 just so happens to fall on Barkley’s 28th birthday. Davis’ all-time rushing record would be a nice birthday present, but the ultimate prize Barkley really desires is a Super Bowl victory.

“I think it’s cool to even be mentioned with a running back like him, knowing how successful he was and the career that he had,” Barkley said of Davis’ record.

“All the records and stuff are cool. The only thing that really matters is winning the Super Bowl.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

Our latest edition of bracketology might prompt readers to wonder if one conference has ever produced three No.-1 seeds in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The answer is yes, but it would be a first for the SEC.

It was the ACC that had three top seeds in 2019, the trio of eventual champion Virginia along with usual suspects Duke and North Carolina. Duke is projected to be on the top line once again, but the Blue Devils are alone with SEC contenders this year.

Auburn, of course, has done nothing to lose its place atop the bracket since our initial projection. They’re joined by in-state rival Alabama and fellow SEC member Florida. The Gators move up this week with Iowa State slipping from a No. 1 spot after three losses while dealing with injuries.

Maintaining those lofty perches in the highly competitive league with Selection Sunday still over a month away could be challenging. Then again there are several other contenders from the conference waiting in the wings, including Tennessee back up to a No. 2 after upending Florida on Saturday.

In all, the SEC has seven of the teams seeded No. 4 or higher in our projection. The Big 12 is next with four among the top 16, with three from the Big Ten and one each from the ACC and Big East.

Speaking of the Big 12, Houston remains as a No. 2 with descending Iowa State, but Texas Tech moves up to a top 16 position after beating the Cougars on the road.

Bracketology: NCAA Tournament field projection

Last four in

Ohio State, Brigham Young, Nebraska, Pittsburgh.

First four out

Wake Forest, Virginia Commonwealth, Xavier, North Carolina.

NCAA Tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: SEC (13), Big Ten (10), Big 12 (8), ACC (4), Big East (4), Mountain West (3), West Coast (2).

Correction/clarification: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported Kultida Woods’ age at the time of her death. She was 80.

Kultida Woods, the mother of Tiger Woods, has died, the golf superstar announced Tuesday.

She was 80. No cause of death was announced.

Woods said in a social media post that his mother was his ‘biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible.’ She attended Tiger’s TGL match last week in Florida.

‘It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning. My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh,’ Woods said. ‘She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie. Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. Love you Mom.’

Kultida Woods, who was from Thailand, met Tiger’s father, Earl, during the Vietnam War. They moved to New York and married in 1969 before settling in California. The 15-time major winner’s father died in 2006. The two were married for 37 years.

In a 2017 interview with USA TODAY Sports, Woods said his parents never pushed him to play golf and never were disappointed no matter what score he shot.

“My dad was always the person who would plant seeds and give me encouragement but also would say things that would fester inside me that wouldn’t come to fruition for a while,” Woods said in 2017. “He was very worldly and deep in his thinking.

‘My mom was the enforcer. My dad may have been in the Special Forces, but I was never afraid of him. My mom’s still here, and I’m still deathly afraid of her. She’s a very tough, tough old lady, very demanding. She was the hand, she was the one, I love her so much, but she was tough.’

Woods paid tribute to his mother last year when he received the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association.

“My mom doesn’t get enough credit,” Woods said during the award ceremony. “Everyone thought that it was my dad when I went on the road, which it was, but Mom was at home. If you don’t know, Mom has been there my entire life.

“This award, I accept it in humbleness and just unbelievable regard for the past recipients, but I also accept it for my mommy, too. She allowed me to get here. She allowed me to do these things, chase my dreams, and the support and love — I didn’t do this alone. I had the greatest rock that any child could possibly have: my mom. Thank you, Mommy.”

Tiger Woods is the host of the Genesis Invitational, which was moved to Torrey Pines in San Diego, set to start Feb. 13. Woods has not said whether he will compete in the tournament, which was moved from the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles due to the wildfires in southern California.

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Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is back from his fractured left fibula and resuming his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal record.

Ovechkin, 39, who scored 15 times in his first 18 games, had missed 16 games after absorbing a leg-on-leg collision during a Nov. 18 game against the Utah Hockey Club. He returned on Dec. 28 and has scored 10 goals since.

Ovechkin entered this season needing 42 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals, which has stood since 1999. The Washington captain has 25 goals this season, with 29 games left.

This season, he moved into second place with 20 consecutive 20-goal seasons and set a record for the number of goalies he has scored against in his career.

If he doesn’t reach the record this season, he has one more season left on his contract.

Here’s where Ovechkin stands in his chase of Gretzky’s goal record:

How many career goals does Alex Ovechkin have?

Ovechkin has 878 career goals.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin need to pass Wayne Gretzky?

Ovechkin needs 17 goals to break Gretzky’s record.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have this season?

Ovechkin has 25 goals and 14 assists in 37 games. Factoring in the 16 games he missed, that is a 44-goal pace, giving him a chance to break the record this season.

What did Alex Ovechkin do in his last game?

Ovechkin just beat the buzzer, scoring an empty net goal with .1 second showing on the clock in a 6-3 win by the Capitals against the Florida Panthers.

When is Alex Ovechkin’s next game?

The Capitals play Thursday, Feb. 6, at Philadelphia. Ovechkin has 50 goals in 76 career regular-season games vs. the Flyers.

Alex Ovechkin goals in 2024-25

Oct. 19: 1 vs. New Jersey
Oct. 23: 1 vs. Philadelphia
Oct. 29: 2 vs. N.Y. Rangers
Oct. 31: 1 vs. Montreal
Nov. 2: 1 vs. Columbus
Nov. 3: 1 vs. Carolina
Nov. 6: 1 vs. Nashville
Nov. 9: 2 vs. St. Louis
Nov. 17: 3 vs. Vegas
Nov. 18: 2 vs. Utah
Dec. 28: 1 vs. Toronto
Dec. 29: 1 vs. Detroit
Jan. 2: 1 vs. Minnesota
Jan. 4: 1 vs. N.Y. Rangers
Jan. 11: 1 vs. Nashville
Jan. 16: 1 vs. Ottawa
Jan. 23: 1 vs. Seattle
Jan. 30: 1 vs. Ottawa
Feb 1: 1 vs. Winnipeg
Feb. 4: 1 vs. Florida

Alex Ovechkin career goal breakdown

Even strength: 554, third overall

Power play: 318, a record

Short-handed: 5

Empty net: 63, a record

Game winners: 134, second overall, one behind Jaromir Jagr’s record

Overtime goals: 27, a record

Multi-goal games: 177, second overall

Goalies scored against: 179, a record

Hat tricks: 31, sixth overall

20-goal seasons: 20, tied for second

30-goal seasons: 18, a record

40-goal seasons: 13, a record

Alex Ovechkin empty-net goals

Ovechkin has a record 63 empty-net goals, but Gretzky is up there, too, with 56. Ovechkin passed Gretzky in that category last season.

Alex Ovechkin goals per season

Season: Goals, career total

2005-06: 52, 52
2006-07: 46, 98
2007-08: 65*, 163
2008-09: 56*, 219
2009-10: 50, 269
2010-11: 32, 301
2011-12: 38, 339
2012-13: 32*, 371
2013-14: 51*, 422
2014-15: 53*, 475
2015-16: 50*, 525
2016-17: 33, 558
2017-18: 49*, 607
2018-19: 51*, 658
2019-20: 48*, 706
2020-21: 24, 730
2021-22: 50, 780
2022-23: 42, 822
2023-24: 31, 853
2024-25: 25, 878

*-led league in goals that season

NHL’s top goal scorers all-time

The top 21 NHL all-time goal scorers all have 600 or more goals. All of the players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, except Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Jagr, who are still playing.

1. Wayne Gretzky, 894 goals in 1,487 games

2. Alex Ovechkin, 878 goals in 1,463 games

3. Gordie Howe, 801 goals in 1,767 games

4. Jaromir Jagr, 766 goals in 1,733 games

5. Brett Hull, 741 goals in 1,269 games

6. Marcel Dionne, 731 in 1,348 games

7. Phil Esposito, 717 goals in 1,282 games

8. Mike Gartner, 708 goals in 1,432 games

9. Mark Messier, 694 goals in 1,756 games

10. Steve Yzerman, 692 goals in 1,514 games

11. Mario Lemieux, 690 goals in 915 games

12. Teemu Selanne, 684 goals in 1,451 games

13. Luc Robitaille, 668 goals in 1,431 games

14. Brendan Shanahan, 656 goals in 1,524 games

15. Dave Andreychuk, 640 goals in 1,639 games

16. Jarome Iginla, 625 goals in 1,554 games

17. Joe Sakic, 625 goals in 1,378 games

18. Bobby Hull, 610 goals in 1,063 games

19. Sidney Crosby, 609 goals in 1,327 games

20. Dino Ciccarelli, 608 goals in 1,232 games

21. Jari Kurri, 601 goals in 1,251 games

Given the recent run of success the SEC has enjoyed in college baseball, it will probably not come as a shock that the league is featured prominently in the preseason USA TODAY Sports coaches poll. SEC teams hold down the top three positions and four of the top five, as voted by our panel of 30 coaches.

Texas A&M will open the campaign at No. 1. The Aggies, who finished as national runners-up in Omaha last season, were picked first on 17 ballots. They return a strong lineup that includes standouts Jace LaViolette and Gavin Grahovic and have ace Ryan Prager leading the pitching staff.

Joining Virginia in the preseason top 10 are fellow ACC members Florida State at No. 6 and North Carolina at No. 8. Oregon State, playing this season as an independent, opens at No. 7. No. 9 Georgia and No 10 Florida give the SEC six squads in the top 10.

The SEC has 11 ranked teams in all, with league newcomer Oklahoma tied for 25th with Troy. The ACC is next with seven ranked squads, with three from the new-look Big 12 headed by No. 17 Oklahoma State.