Seventeen-year-old Spencer Gilliam loves playing center for his high school football team in Chico, Texas. There was a time when he thought his football days were over. He was born with a tumor in the left ventricle of his heart, so he’s been under medical supervision since he was a baby. Thankfully, with the help of his medical team, he has returned to the game. He has big goals for the future.
In February 2024, he traveled to the Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida, for some inspiration. It was there he was able to meet his NFL hero, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. The two share the same number and position.
Thea Gilliam, Spencer's mom, opened up to People about her son’s medical journey. "When I was 15 weeks pregnant, my OB found a tumor a quarter of the size of his heart in his left ventricle," she began. "The neonatal cardiologist told us when there are these tumors, the child has a 50% chance of having a disease called tuberous sclerosis. This means he could be born with tumors all over his major organs, including his brain, which could lead to severe mental and physical disabilities."
In Spencer’s case, there were no other tumors, just the one on the heart. Unfortunately it damaged a heart valve. The tumor was removed when he was 2 months old and the valve would have to be replaced eventually.
Spencer recovered nicely from his surgery and grew up to be big and strong. He went on to play team sports under a doctor’s supervision. Football was therapeutic for Spencer. "I started playing in fourth grade because my parents had gotten divorced when I was 7 and we were jumping around schools," he explained. "I thought we had finally found a school that we were going to stick with. So I started playing football."
Spencer played football until sixth grade when doctors told him to call it quits. "It had gotten too bad when I hit sixth grade that they finally made me quit," he recalled. "And I was really sad and depressed about it, so that's when my mom started taking me to Cowboys games, Cowboys meet and greets, making sure I was happy."
Spencer not only had to give up football but also all other team sports. It was a tough blow for the young boy to deal with. "I was heartbroken," he recalled. "I thought I'd never be able to play again, and football was my dream."
In January 2021, Spencer underwent surgery to replace his damaged heart valve. Doctors were forced to break his sternum in order to open him up because of old scar tissue. It was hard for Thea to watch her son go through this, especially during the pandemic.
"Poor guy couldn't have any visitors except his parents due to COVID. [It was a] 9 hours surgery and he was able to get off narcotics the next day," she recalled.
Forty-five days later, Spencer was given the green light to return to football. "I'm still playing to this day," he stated. "I play center and I'm number 62, and we play about 10 games a season. I'm actually working on getting recruited right now to play college ball."
Spencer works hard to fund his dreams by working at Whataburger and posting on TikTok. He also is being closely monitored by his doctors. His valve will eventually need to be replaced but hopefully not for 10 or 15 years.
2024 will be a year to remember for Spencer because he got to meet his hero, Jason Kelce. "It was so amazing," he gushed. "I'm not going to lie, it's probably the happiest I've ever been when I got my jersey signed by him."
Spencer didn’t get to tell Jason his full story but hopes to one day. He was so impressed by how kind he was. "I only got a couple moments to speak with him, but I told him I was a center, number 62, and he was just the nicest guy ever. He asked me if I had any questions for him and I told him that I'd ask him when I made it to the league and made it to his position."
