He played in eleven NFL seasons from 1979 to 1987 for the Philadelphia Eagles, the 1988 for the Seattle Seahawks, and the 1989 for the Green Bay Packers.
He appeared in Super Bowl XV for the Philadelphia Eagles versus the Oakland Raiders, catching one reception for 22 yards.
His 12 catches in one game against the New Orleans Saints in 1985 were just two short of the club record shared by Brian Westbrook and Don Looney.
In 1984, Spagnola began his career in the financial services industry, working for First Boston Corporation in New York City and Philadelphia.
In 1992, with Michael Cosack, he co-founded Spagnola-Cosack, Inc., an independent investment consulting firm that serviced public, Taft-Hartley, corporate, hospital, endowment, and foundation Funds.
Spagnola has taught a course on managing public funds for the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.
Spagnola currently serves on the board of directors of Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, the Buckley Institute at Yale University, and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.