Harrison Butker Opens Up On Controversial Grad Speech, Insists 'I Love Women'

Harrison Butker just addressed his controversial commencement speech with a roomful of Chiefs reporters for the first time since he made the polarizing remarks ... and he was adamant he is NOT a misogynist.

In fact, the Kansas City kicker insisted he's actually the opposite ... telling media members at Chiefs' training camp practice Wednesday, "I love women."

Of course, there were plenty who felt differently after the 29-year-old said at a talk to Benedictine College graduates back in May that a woman's "most important title" should be "homemaker."

Butker faced backlash over the commentary for weeks ... and at the ESPYs last month, even Serena Williams dragged him for his words.

But when questioned about it all Wednesday, Butker said he felt he was severely mischaracterized.

"My whole career," he said, "I've talked about how I'm a husband and I'm a father before it comes to me as a kicker. It's something I've always preached."

"But then when I use that to talk about women and I say that they should embrace and love being wives and being mothers over their career, I think then it gets construed that I'm trying to put women down. Which I'm not at all. I love women. I love my wife."

HARRISON BUTKER ON THE FIELD

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Butker told reporters he absolutely stands "behind what I said" ... adding, "I really believe if people knew me as a person and understood that I was coming from a place of love and not a place of trying to attack or put people down that I only want the best for people and that's what I was trying to say there."

"And I think the people that were in that gymnasium all understood what I was saying."

For the Chiefs' part -- they clearly don't have issues with what he said ... as on Monday, they made him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL with a massive $25.6 mil contract extension.