Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker narrowly beat out Taylor Swift's boyfriend in official NFL merchandise sales from March 1 to May 31, signaling his power to influence American culture and young football fans.

NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Top 50 Player Sales List Track your data Officially licensed merchandise, from jerseys to T-shirts, bobbleheads to pet supplies, is available for purchase from a range of online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores. Finished He ranks 11th on the NFL Players Association's (NFLPA) list of the top 50 grossing players, one spot above teammate Travis Kelce, whose popularity has recently soared thanks to his relationship with billionaire pop singer Taylor Swift. (Related: Super Bowl champion Harris Butker blames absentee fathers, not guns, for 'degenerate violence' plaguing America)

In May, Butker made headlines at Benedictine University's commencement speech when he unashamedly urged men to embrace their masculinity and resist “cultural emasculation of men,” noting that most of the graduates in the room would find fulfillment in life by getting married and having a family, not by pursuing a successful career.

“As you sit here and cross this stage, how many of you are thinking about the promotion or the title you're going to get at work? Some of you may be making it in the world,” Butker said at the time, “but I'm sure most of you are most excited about marriage and the children you're going to bring into the world.”

Young men (and women) need to look up to athletes like Butker. Not only is he outstanding on the field (he hasn't missed a field goal and is currently the NFL's highest-paid kicker), he's also outspoken about his religious and political views, which takes courage in a liberal-dominated world. Even if you're not a conservative, there was something refreshing and incredibly infectious about his honesty at the commencement.

Meanwhile, we all know that Kelsey is surrounded by a bevy of publicists who control his every move, every sponsorship, and are constantly concerned about his image. While her brother Jason, a great father to her children and a true gentleman, hovers close with Eagles fans, Travis seems to be Swift's accessory, hanging out at the US Open in a clown-like Gucci bucket hat, and embodying the worst millennial stereotypes: status-obsessed, unwilling to raise a family, childless.

It's a faint indication, but the fact that Butker is high up in the NFLPA suggests that ordinary Americans have more in common with bold conservatives than they do with a former Pfizer spokesman who hangs out with Kamala Harris' biggest supporter. We'll just accept that for now.