For six years, the No. 10 represented game-breaking speed on the Kansas City Chiefs. But after Tyreek Hill took his talents to South Beach, a seventh-round rookie out of Rutgers gave the number new meaning. Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco runs with unparalleled vigor, but the source of his passion would cause most people to do what he never has: quit.
Isiah Pacheco’s Rise to the Kansas City Chiefs’ RB1
Before Pacheco even knew what the word “onomatopoeia” meant, he had one as a nickname. While playing in a youth football league in his hometown of Vineland, N.J., Pacheco rushed off the edge and snapped the quarterback’s head back.
“Everybody was like, ‘Oh, wow, you popped him,'” Pacheco told The Press of Atlantic City. “They’ve been calling me ‘Pop’ ever since.”
The youngest of five, Pacheco was used to fighting for attention. But as a 13-year-old, high schools were lining up for his services. Hometown Vineland South ultimately earned his enrollment, and he made an impact early.
The varsity team’s seniors voted Pacheco a team captain as a freshman — a title he held all four years with the Fighting Clan. He rushed for 1,000+ yards in each of his final two seasons and helped power the school to its first conference championship in 32 years.
Adding to his recruiting profile, Pacheco spent some time at cornerback, starred on the baseball diamond, and even played basketball for Vineland. With several offers on the table, including Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Maryland, the New Jersey native decided to remain close to home, committing to Rutgers before his senior year.
Hometown Hero
Pacheco hit the ground running for the Scarlet Knights, taking 11 carries for 76 yards in the season opener vs. Texas State (Rutger’s only victory in 2018). But Pacheco’s freshman campaign — and entire college career — can be summarized by one game.
No. 4 Michigan was in town on an eight-game win streak, including three in a row vs. No. 15 Wisconsin, No. 24 Michigan State, and No. 14 Penn State. On paper, Rutgers stood no chance as the Big Ten’s bottom-dweller. And the on-field results were no different, as the Scarlet Knights fell 42-7.
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However, the score and opponent meant little to Pacheco. On the first play of the team’s third drive, he gashed the Wolverine’s defense for an 80-yard touchdown, blowing two kisses to his mother in the stands. By the final whistle, Pacheco generated 142 yards on 16 carries, ensuring Michigan’s defenders felt each one.
After sharing the backfield with Raheem Blackshear and finishing with the second-most all-purpose yards on the team (910) as a true freshman, Pacheco led the Scarlet Knights in rushing for three straight seasons. When the blades of grass and artificial turf settled on his time in Piscataway, N.J., Pacheco amassed 2,442 rushing yards (seventh in school history) and 18 TDs.
From Seventh-Round Pick to First on the Depth Chart
Leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, Pacheco ran the fastest 40-yard dash among running backs (4.37) at the NFL Scouting Combine, a number that Big Ten players and coaches were not surprised by. Still, Pacheco received little fanfare, even with Rutgers HC Greg Schiano telling every coach and scout who would listen that he is the “hardest working practice player I’ve ever coached.”
Most of Pacheco’s knocks revolved around what made him special: his impassioned rushing style. Because of his urgency to break a long run, the Rutgers RB would sometimes become impatient, not allowing his blocks to set up fully. Additionally, he’d bounce runs to the outside a bit early and run over a defender rather than attempt to force a missed tackle.
Yet, all it takes is one opportunity, and with the 251st selection, the Chiefs made the Scarlet Knights product the last RB chosen in the class. Similar to the rest of his football career, Pacheco quickly turned heads. He made waves during training camp and even scored his first NFL touchdown in Week 1.
Pacheco’s downhill rushing style endeared him to fans and, eventually, the coaching staff. He surpassed former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire and veteran Jerick McKinnon, receiving his first start in Week 7 of 2022.
Since then, he’s become the unquestioned leader of the backfield and the third player mentioned on Kansas City’s offense after QB Patrick Mahomes and TE Travis Kelce.
Pacheco ended Year 1 with the fourth-most rushing yards (830) and second-most rushing TDs (five) among rookie RBs. And this season, he finished with 935 yards and seven scores, adding 244 yards and two TDs as a receiver.
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Further highlighting head coach Andy Reid’s growing confidence to put the ball in Pacheco’s hands, the RB has had 15+ carries in all but one game since October.
Pacheco is the lead back on a team seeking its third Lombardi Trophy in five years. He’s redefined the running back position for the Chiefs and kept the No. 10 a fan favorite by how he plays football. But why he plays is substantially more important.
Pacheco’s ‘Why’
On Pacheco’s right arm is a mural — a collection of tattoos representing what’s made him who he is. An outline of New Jersey. The logos of Vineland South and Rutgers. But above all, memorials to his two late siblings with the motto, “Go hard or go home.”
When Pacheco was 15, his oldest brother, Travoise Cannon, was murdered in his apartment complex. A year later, his sister, Celeste Cannon, was killed in a domestic violence dispute, leaving behind three children.
In under two years, Pacheco lost two of the people closest to him. Travoise was the one who encouraged him to play football at a young age, and he’s also the reason Pacheco wears No. 10, as that was his number when he played.
Meanwhile, Celeste was like his best friend, and the two grew even closer following Travoise’s passing. She always attended Pacheco’s games and kept his head on straight.
Despite his siblings’ deaths and the darkness that followed, Pacheco became a beacon of light for others to draw inspiration. Those two kisses he blew to his mother vs. Michigan? One for Travoise and one for Celeste.
“I thank them for looking down on me. I’m going to keep doing things in a positive way to make them proud of me.”
Pacheco didn’t know when it would be the last time he saw his brother and sister. He doesn’t know when he’ll take his last NFL snap. But he brings the passion of three lives on every touch, matching unimaginable tragedy with unbreakable vitality.
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