All eyes will be on the Chiefs and the 49ers as the two teams hit the field for Super Bowl 58 action on Sunday, with the most attention going to Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes, and Travis Kelce — and maybe one or two famous fans in the stands.
However, one of Kansas City's most important players is none other than Rutgers product Isiah Pacheco, who rushed for 935 yards with seven touchdowns on 205 carries this season before breaking out with 254 yards and three TDs in the playoffs.
Here's everything to know about the Chiefs' bruising runner.
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Where is Isiah Pacheco's hometown?
Pacheco, who is also nicknamed "Pop," is originally from Vineland, New Jersey. He saw action throughout his high school career at Vineland High School where he played quarterback and running back.
He's most known for his remarkable senior year performance in which he led Vineland's Fighting Clan team to a Thanksgiving Day Classic victory over Millville Senior High School. That victory stands out because the Thunderbolts are the Fighting Clan's arch-rival.
He played both sides of the ball during that season, earning multiple all-state and all-league honors after carrying the football 154 times for 1,414 yards and 18 touchdowns and passing for 598 yards with three touchdowns. Pacheco accounted for 28 tackles and two interceptions on defense.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Pacheco was a three-star recruit who ranked as the Class of 2018's No. 30 running back, No. 17 overall prospect in the state of New Jersey, and No. 665 overall prospect nationally.
Where did Isiah Pacheco go to college?
Pacheco played out his college career at Rutgers, choosing the Scarlet Knights over the likes of other prestigious programs, including Syracuse, Maryland, and Virginia Tech.
He saw the field frequently year in and year out, finishing out his career with just shy of 2,500 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns. The team itself did not have much success in Pacheco's tenure, sporting an overall record of 11-35, though that was hardly on the rusher.
His collegiate honors list includes Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (2021), All-ECAC Offense (2021), Academic All-Big Ten (2021), Team Captain (2021), and Phil Steele Fourth Team All-Big Ten (2020).
Isiah Pacheco college stats
Pacheco was originally selected by the Chiefs at pick No. 251 overall in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he's been with the team ever since.
Below is a statistical breakdown of Pacheco's college career at Rutgers:
| Year | Games | Rush yds | Rush TDs | Rec yds | Rec TDs | Total yds | Total TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 11 | 551 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 562 | 3 |
| 2019 | 11 | 729 | 7 | 83 | 0 | 812 | 7 |
| 2020 | 9 | 515 | 3 | 130 | 1 | 645 | 4 |
| 2021 | 12 | 647 | 5 | 25 | 0 | 672 | 5 |
| Total | 43 | 2,442 | 18 | 249 | 1 | 2,691 | 19 |
