2024-09-06 15:35:02
During Kansas City Chiefs games, Isiah Pacheco leaves it all on the field in honor of his family, including his siblings: Travoise, Ricky, Felicia and Celeste.
Since he was drafted to the NFL in 2022, the New Jersey native has won the Super Bowl in each of his first two seasons, even scoring a touchdown at his debut. As the running back celebrated his second championship in February 2024 with his parents, Felicia “Jody” Cannon and Julio Pacheco, Isiah’s mind was on his siblings.
Travoise and Celeste were both killed within a year of each other in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
While a student-athlete at Rutgers University, Isiah would drop to his knees in the end zone and take the opportunity to speak to them before getting back up for the next play.
“I’ll say a few prayers for my sister and my brother and a couple of people who passed in my life,’’ Isiah revealed in an interview with NJ.com in 2019. “And then I just put everything on the line for my family in the stands.’’
Here’s everything to know about Isiah Pacheco’s siblings: Travoise, Ricky, Felicia and Celeste.
They grew up in New Jersey
Isiah is the youngest of five children: Travoise Cannon was the eldest of the siblings, followed by Ricky Fowler, Felicia Cannon and Celeste Cannon.
When the professional football player was a toddler, the family lived in Bridgeton, N.J., before moving to Vineland, where he played for the local high school.
His mother recalled when a young Isiah would persistently needle his elder siblings — particularly Celeste — until they either gave in to his demands or offered to take him somewhere he needed to go.
“I told him, ‘How are you going to run your brothers and sisters? You’re the littlest one,’ ” the family matriarch shared in an interview with The Press of Atlantic City in 2017. “But he would get them to do what he wanted.”
Felicia is named after their mother
Felicia is her mother’s third child and namesake. However, the family has a simple way to reduce confusion in the household.
The family matriarch goes by “Jody,” and Isiah honors her by keeping the name close to his heart.
“My necklace says ‘Jody,’ ” he said while showing off the gold nameplate during an NFL interview in 2022. “It’s my mom’s nickname. Her real name’s Felicia, but we call her Jody. You know that’s my heart.”
Both Felicia and Ricky both keep low profiles.
Isiah and his brother Travoise bonded over football
Speaking to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights for a feature in 2021, Isiah opened up about his oldest brother.
According to the Chiefs’ running back, his love of football began when he hung around a local field and decided he wanted to participate. After Isiah told his dad Julio that he was ready to play the sport, he was in — and so was Travoise.
“Football played a part in me and my oldest brother’s relationship,” Isiah said. “He wanted to be that big brother that always stood at the games and cheer me on.”
After Travoise’s sudden death in 2016, Isiah felt lost but continued playing, turning his grief into resilience. “It was hurting me because I didn’t have that same guidance when I would hear him scream my name at the football field,” he recalled.
Years later, Isiah still thinks about his sibling and how he would react today.
“My brother, if he was to see me here, he’d be shocked,” he told NJ.com in a 2019 interview. “He encouraged me to play football as a kid and he never got the opportunity to see me play here.”
Isiah added, “Having an opportunity to play ball, it helps me a lot, not worrying about the tragedies that happened. It makes me want to go harder.”
Isiah was close to his late sister Celeste
Throughout his athletic career, Isiah has kept the memory of Celeste alive by recalling their quality time together.
“She could cook, but she couldn’t cook as good as my mom,” he told The Press of Atlantic City in 2017. “When Celeste cooked, she was probably going to burn something.”
According to the Super Bowl champion’s father, Julio, Isiah’s late sister — who loved making brownies and dancing to rapper Meek Mill’s music — kept him humble.
“If she was here now, she’d be saying, ‘Who do you think you are, a superstar or something?’ ” he quipped to the outlet.
Travoise died in 2016
The Pachecos experienced tragedy in January 2016 when Travoise was stabbed to death at the Amity Heights Apartments in Bridgeton, N.J, according to local reports.
The 29 year old, who was injured in the torso, later succumbed to his injuries at Inspira Regional Medical Center in Vineland. A suspect was later arrested and charged with the crime, per NJ.com.
Although Isiah was only 16 at the time of his brother’s death, he keeps remembering Travoise’s love for him.
“Since I was a youngster, [my brother] was always out there, watching out for me,” he recalled to NJ.com in 2019. “I had an electric four-wheeler, and my brother first taught me how to ride. That was always something I liked to do as a hobby, riding four-wheelers and dirt bikes.”
Isiah continued playing after Celeste’s death in 2017
The family was dealt another tough loss in May 2017 when 24-year-old Celeste was killed by her partner, Donald Scurry Jr., according to NJ.com. A few months later, Donald was convicted in her death.
In a 2021 Rutgers Scarlet Knights All Access feature, dad Julio recounted its impact on Isiah. “When his sister passed away, that also did something to him,” he said. “It took a big chunk of his heart. She was like the second mom.”
Isiah echoed the sentiment to The Press of Atlantic City in 2017. “My sister was like my best friend,” the-then rising athlete said. “I still think about my sister to this day … I miss her a lot.”
Three days after her death, Isiah took to the field for the Vineland Fighting Clan and ran for 222 yards and a touchdown in a 42-6 victory over Egg Harbor Township.
Less than a week later, Isiah paid his respects at his sister’s funeral. That evening, the grieving teen turned in another impressive performance against Cumberland Regional, running for 157 yards and three touchdowns as Vineland won 60-6.
“I knew that she was looking down on me and took my game to another level because I had something to play for. That was like my why,” he explained in the Rutgers Scarlet Knights feature.
Isiah added, “I wanted to make her smile, so I left it all out there on the field. She would have been proud of me on that day, and I’m pretty sure she was.”
Isiah is a present uncle to Celeste’s kids
Celeste left behind three children: daughters Tazjae and Tazirah Kamora, and son Donald Scurry III.
Following her death, Isiah drew inspiration from them every time he stepped onto the field. Now, he hopes that her young son will follow in his footsteps.
“My nephew, we’re trying to introduce him to football, and he was out here in the stands and that brought a light to me,” he told NJ.com in 2019. “But it’s sad thinking that my sister could be holding him right now.”
Most recently, Isiah’s nieces have been teaching him TikTok dances, and he shows off their choreography during touchdowns. “They say, ‘Oh Uncle Pop, learn that from us!’ ” he told PEOPLE in February 2024.