Podcast Episode

July 7, 2026

By Candace Dellacona and Marni Schneider


Host Candace Dellacona welcomes author and philanthropist Marnie Schneider, Philadelphia Eagles royalty and creator of the Football Freddie children's book series, for a conversation about grief, resilience, caregiving, and legacy. Marnie reflects on growing up with the Philadelphia Eagles, then owned by her grandfather, Leonard Tose, whose community-minded leadership helped launch the first Ronald McDonald House Charities. She also shares the remarkable story of her mother, Susan Tose Spencer, the first woman in NFL history to serve as a vice president, legal counsel, and general manager. Marnie opens up about caring for her mother through nearly a decade of frontotemporal dementia while raising three children as a single parent, discussing the realities of guilt, financial and emotional strain, perspective, and self-care. She also reveals how her family's stories inspired her beloved Football Freddie and Baseball Billie books.