Marcus Spears spent Monday in Seattle at Lumen Field as part of ESPN's "NFL Live" and "Monday Night Countdown" crew, previewing the Week 8 matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears.
That, however, didn't stop him from watching his son's collegiate debut at Texas.
During "Monday Night Countdown," Scott Van Pelt and Co. surprised the former NFL defensive end with a live cut-in from Texas' Moody Center, where his son, Marcus Spears Jr., was making his entrance into the arena. The emotional moment left Spears visibly moved on national television.
"Let's go, bugga. I'm about to cry, bro. That's crazy, bro. He worked his (expletive) off to get here, man," the elder Spears said. "Damn, that's amazing. You all got me with this one."
This is what
it's all about 🥹 Marcus Spears gets emotional reacting to his son's, Marcus Spears Jr., arrival ahead of Chicago State vs. Texas ❤️ pic.twitter.com/DQIFKZPwfL
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 3, 2026
Spears said he told ESPN producers he was considering skipping the trip to Seattle for the Week 8 matchup so he could be there for his son's collegiate debut. However, those concerns eased last weekend when he was able to attend Texas' 87-74 exhibition loss to St. John's at Madison Square Garden.
"I got here (Seattle) yesterday and I was down as (expletive) that I wasn't going to be in the building. And then I thought about it and I was like, 'My wife and myself have prepared him to be where he is, and he'll be fine,'" Spears said. "I'm glad to be here with y'all, my brothers, but y'all know where my mind and heart at.
"I cannot wait to watch junior play tonight."
Spears Jr., a 6-foot-9 forward, five-star recruit and No. 2-ranked player in the 2027 recruiting class, reclassified to the Longhorns' 2026 class when he committed to Sean Miller's program back in July.
Texas was ranked No. 7 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and started the season against Chicago State on Monday. Spears Jr. was not included in the Longhorns' starting five, meaning he came off the bench against the Cougars.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marcus Spears surprised by son's college hoops debut on NFL: 'I'm about to cry bro'
