Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Hero Isiah Pacheco Continues To Grind

Talk about no rest for the weary.

After ending his rookie season with a Super Bowl championship victory, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco did not celebrate with any exotic trips.

“I haven’t been able to take any vacations,” Pacheco exclusively shared. “I’ve been getting treatment.”

In both Philadelphia and Kansas City, Pacheco’s area of focus were his shoulders, feet and ankles while trying to increase his flexibility.

That’s likely a byproduct of playing eight more games last season than he ever played in a college season — and his violent running style.

He runs so aggressively — his legs churn so hard — that it’s been described that it appears he’s inflicting pain upon the ground.

“It’s the mentality, the hard work,” he said, “and the willingness of not wanting to be stopped.”

Pacheco had a chance to exhale and stop the offseason grind for an afternoon on April 27.

Hours before the first round of the draft kicked off in Kansas City, Pacheco spoke prior to partnering with USAA as part of a special Salute to Service event, where he met with local military from Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leavenworth at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que in Olathe, Kans.

“I’ve always looked up to those guys,” Pacheco said. “Without them and what they do, we wouldn’t be here.”

Pacheco — who has a personal connection to the Army through his agent Sandy Cornelio, a 20-year veteran — met with the military members along with former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson.

Pacheco had previously met Kansas City’s all-time leading tackler at the team hotel before a December road victory against the Houston Texans.

Johnson’s accomplished career — along with Pacheco’s auspicious debut — made them high-profile figures to hang out with those from Whiteman and Fort Leavenworth.

Pacheco was one of the stars of the Chiefs’ 38-35 Super Bowl LVII victory while running 15 times for a game-high 76 yards and a touchdown.

“I’m excited to share the championship love with the veterans,” Pacheco said.

That championship love, though, wasn’t reciprocated by all of his family members back home.

Having grown up in Vineland, N.J., which is 45 minutes away from Philadelphia, Pacheco — and many of his family members — grew up rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pacheco passionately cheered for the 2004 squad that took Andy Reid to his first Super Bowl as head coach, and then later running back LeSean McCoy became his favorite player.

Thirteen of his family members and friends attended Super Bowl LVII, but some haven’t shed their love of the Eagles.

While Pacheco was back in Philadelphia, they complained that he beat their team.

“They came at me when I was there,” he said. “I had to shake it off … it’s all love.”

The Chiefs love Pacheco’s value.

Because he was drafted in the seventh round (251st overall) last year, he will earn a base salary of just $870,000 in the second year of his four-year rookie deal.

With the 2023 NFL Draft class having just been selected, Pacheco, who rushed for 830 yards and five touchdowns while starting 11 games, looks forward to mentoring the Chiefs rookies aiming to make an instant impact like he did.

“Their number could be called,” Pacheco said. “I was in their position last year, and that rookie class could play a big role in this season.”

For this upcoming season, Pacheco dismissed any notion that he could be complacent, following his championship, star-studded debut.

“There’s more yards out there that I have to go get,” he said.