Isiah Pacheco is celebrating, and with good reason. Born on March 2, 1999 in New Jersey of Dominican and Puerto Rican roots, the rookie running back for the Kansas City Chiefs was a standout part of the team that won the NFL crown this Sunday, beating the Eagles 38-35 Philadelphia defeated. This victory caps a long battle against odds that makes Pacheco one of those bulletproof “survivors” that define the pro soccer league so much.
Because Pacheco had to cope with blows that would have brought many down. First, his brother Travoise was stabbed in 2016 when Isiah was just a teenager. The attacker claimed self-defense but was eventually convicted of tampering with evidence of the crime. Heartbroken, Pacheco turned to his older sister Celeste for advice and support. And so it was, until Celeste herself was shot and killed by her partner (and father of her baby) just a year after Travoise’s death in 2017.
Many would not have been able to in the face of such accumulation of tragedy. But Pacheco found a space for resistance and peace in American football. He played at the collegiate level at Rutgers, a school that was academically respected but not particularly famous in the sport and whose greatest achievement was winning a national title in 1869, at a time when few East Coast teams were collegiate -played football. and no accurate records were kept. Although his personal numbers were good and he was auditioned before the professional draft known as “Combine,” recruiters doubted his ability to perform at the highest level. However, one of his coaches at Rutgers, Greg Schiano, was acutely aware of his potential: “I’ve never seen anyone train so hard.”
Pacheco overcomes a tackle attempt by CJ Gardner-Johnson during the Super Bowl. Brynn Anderson (AP)
Kansas City was the franchise that recruited him as early as the seventh and final round of the draft and just 11 spots from the end (the last spot pick, by the way, was San Juan 49ers standout quarterback Brock Purdy), Francisco what how always makes one doubt the infallibility of the lucky recruiters). Pacheco was substituted because the Chiefs already had a very solid running back in Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The idea was to mold him and gradually give him input into a few plays, as a blocker, decoy, or alternative. But an injury to Edwards-Helaire in Week 9 of the regular season opened the door to the starting lineup. And the rookie responded with more than a thousand rushing yards, six touchdowns and nearly twenty receptions when you add his postseason games to his stats.
Pacheco not only defended the title, but was also a key player in the Super Bowl, almost on a par with superstars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. His quickness and heaviness were a constant weapon that accounted for 76 yards and a crucial touchdown for the champions. And while the MVP honor ended up in the hands of the irrepressible Mahomes, there are many who believe Pacheco’s future holds one of the best for a running back in the league. Mahomes among them: “[Pacheco] He’s so physically gifted that it’s very difficult for the defense to keep up with him,” the Kansas City attacking boss said a few weeks ago.
For now, in just his first season in the league, Isiah has achieved what dozens of stars have failed to achieve in their long careers: lifting the Vince Lombardi Cup.
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