The smell of Million Dollar Bacon hit the table before Spencer Tillman even reached it.
Inside the First Watch cafe, Tillman laughed when the idea of ordering it came up. The aroma drifting through the restaurant made the decision easy.
Even if, as he was quick to point out, it is not exactly part of the usual routine.
“Typically I stay away from the heavy stuff,” Tillman said with a grin.
Still, the plate of Million Dollar Bacon made its way to the table alongside a modest omelette. A small indulgence for someone who remains in remarkable shape as he approaches his 62nd birthday next month.
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The routine that keeps him there has evolved since his playing days.
“My workouts have changed post-career,” Tillman said. “Less resistance and bounding. More isometrics and deep stretching. Forty-five minutes on the spin bike at LA Fitness. The final ten minutes at 11.2 resistance. Then deep squats on an incline board and step-downs on the same board.”
His trademark speed, he insists, has not disappeared with age.
“I may be older, but my wheels are still my superpower,” Tillman said. “I close out with Superman pushups. Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
Those wheels once carried Tillman through a standout career at University of Oklahoma and later to a Super Bowl title with the San Francisco 49ers.
The jewelry from those accomplishments still appears occasionally.
“Living in Texas, I don’t wear the OU hardware much at all,” Tillman said. “I just remind the Horn-wielding critics that I personally never lost to Texas.”
The Super Bowl ring makes more appearances.
“I wear the Super Bowl ring more often because it represents the pinnacle of the profession.”
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These days that profession plays out in the broadcast booth. Tillman is part of the college football coverage team at Fox Sports, where he continues to call games across the country.
And yes, the nerves are still there.
“Yes,” Tillman said when asked if he still gets butterflies before a big broadcast. “But they’re anticipatory nerves now. The kind where the hay is already in the proverbial barn and all that’s left is to play the game. You’re prepared. You’re excited. And you’re curious to see how right or wrong you were about everything you just said in the show open.”
Certain stadiums still stand out.
“In the fall, Husky Stadium is one of the most picturesque venues in sports,” Tillman said of Husky Stadium. “I love calling games there with the boats pulling up on Lake Washington.”
Others rank among his personal favorites as well, including Ohio Stadium and Michigan Stadium.
“And I can’t leave out the Palace on the Prairie,” Tillman added, referring to Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. “And of course Camp Randall. ‘Jump Around’ is something to see.”
Long before the broadcast booth, Tillman built his NFL career with the Houston Oilers. One memory from the Houston Astrodome still stands above the rest.
“Warren Moon throwing me a touchdown pass on an unscripted play against the Cleveland Browns,” Tillman said. “The coverage forced us off script. I knew Warren would need an option heading toward the boundary with limited space, so I just improvised and played football. We scored and we won.”
The Oilers have been gone from Houston for nearly three decades. But Tillman never really left the city’s football culture. This season marks his 23rd year working on broadcasts connected to the Houston Texans.
“Yes, thirty years,” Tillman said. “That’s an eternity in NFL life.”
Then Tillman shifted into reflection, quoting Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. “All of us must make noise on New Year’s Eve to drown out the macabre sound of grass growing over our graves…Time is the ultimate agent of purpose. I try hard not to waste it.”
If he had one message for Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud heading into the 2026 season, Tillman said it would be simple.
“I’d challenge him to answer one question every day with evidence,” Tillman said. “Can this team scale with me at quarterback?”
He also offered a warning. “Don’t confuse activity with progress.”
History provides the lesson. The Baltimore Ravens proved a team can win a championship with an average offense. But the margin for error disappears quickly when turnovers pile up.
“He had seven turnovers in the last two games,” Tillman said. “That’s untenable.”
Back at the breakfast table, the Million Dollar Bacon eventually disappeared. Even a disciplined routine leaves room for the occasional exception.
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