Isiah Pacheco, the current starting running back for the Kansas City Chiefs was born in Vineland, New Jersey on March 2, 1999. He is the youngest of five siblings but has faced a lot of adversity at a very young age revolving around his family. Having had to endure so much hardship in his early life, it is truly a remarkable feat that he has managed to dig deep and make it to the highest level of the game he so dearly loves.
Despite the several roadblocks in his life both on and off the field, Pacheco was finally able to realize his dream of playing professional football in 2022. After spending four years in college at Rutgers University where he played as a running back on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, Pacheco was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
His first two seasons with the Chiefs have been quite extraordinary although he hasn’t set the field on fire. However, with the Chiefs relying more on their passing game, the 24-year-old still managed to rush for 830 yards in his rookie season and a further 197 yards in the postseason. Now that the New Jersey native has managed to fulfill his long-time dream of playing in the NFL, let us take a look at his support system and family background.
Isiah Pacheco Family
Pacheco was born to parents Felicia Cannon and Julio Pacheco in New Jersey. He comes from a big family of seven members with his four siblings and parents. He is also the youngest of all five siblings.
Isiah Pacheco Father
Pacheco’s father is Julio Pacheco. His father is of Puerto Rican descent but not much information is available about him. In an interview put up on the Big Ten Network YouTube channel, his father recalls how he came up to him one day and said that he wanted to play football and his father was immediately on board.
As for Julio Pacheco’s profession, he used to have a small business that did nothing more than provide the basic requirements for the family. Apart from that his life is private and no more details are known.
Isiah Pacheco Mother
Pacheco’s mother, Felicia Cannon, handled all the domestic duties in the house. Pacheco’s special connection with his mother is quite evident from the necklace he wears bearing the name ‘Jody’ on it. It is his mother’s nickname.
The family grew up in difficult times since Pacheco’s father didn’t have a very successful business while his mother didn’t work. However, everyone in the family is very close to each other and shares a deep-rooted bond that has only increased due to back-to-back tragic events that rocked the family in 2015 and 2016.
Also Read: Isiah Pacheco Parents
Isiah Pacheco Siblings
Pacheco is the youngest of five siblings in the household. There is no information available about two of his siblings since most of the details focus on his older brother, Travoise Cannon, and his older sister Celeste Cannon.
Pacheco and his brother Travoise both had a passion for football and as Pacheco’s father recounts. Travoise, being the older brother, was always at Pacheco’s games to cheer him on. Travoise was the one who guided Isiah especially when it came to football.
One day though, when Pacheco was in high school sometime around 2015 or 2016, the family received the terrible news that Travoise Cannon was brutally murdered. It was a senseless act of brutal stabbing and unfortunately, Pacheco’s brother was on the receiving end of it.
After Pacheco’s brother passed away, he became even closer to his older sister Celeste. She was a mother of three. About a year after his brother’s passing, the Pacheco family got a knock on their door and someone informed them that Celeste was also no more. Pacheco mentioned that it was the father of her youngest son who murdered her.
Both of these tragic events in consecutive years left a gaping hole in Pacheco’s life, but he chose football to get through the pain. Since that day, he has lived by the motto - you never know when you do something for the last time, which is exactly why on the football turf he runs like there is no tomorrow.
Also Read: Isiah Pacheco Contract
FAQ's On Isiah Pacheco Family
A. Isiah Pacheco is of mixed ethnicity. His father is of Puerto Rican descent while his mother is African-American.
A. Isiah Pacheco went to Rutgers University where he played as a running back for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ football team.
A. Isiah Pacheco is currently earning a base salary of $870,000 in the 2023 NFL season.
A. Isiah Pacheco was drafted by the Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
A. Isiah Pacheco had 5 rushing touchdowns in his rookie season in 2022.