Every athlete has a story that always works as fuel. For Isiah Pacheco, it’s his siblings whom he lost one by one in tragic incidents. Pacheco’s childhood was not smooth. Pacheco’s parents had to put up a lot of overtime to support him and his brothers. In order to support the family while Isiah grew up, his father ran a small business while his mother took care of household chores. Among all these, he had a beautiful bond with his siblings until 2016.

“I still think about my sister today,” Isiah Pacheco said. “I really miss her. It’s incredibly difficult.” In a 2019 interview with NJ.com, Pacheco discussed his brother’s passing and added that his sister “was like a best friend” to him. Tattoos on Pacheco’s arms pay tribute to his sister and brother. “I play football for them,” he said.

What happened to Isiah Pacheco’s brother Travoise and sister Celeste Cannon?

Isiah Pacheco was a high school student in South Jersey who lost his brother and sister to murder in less than two years, leaving him with permanent trauma. These tragic events inspired Pacheco to pursue excellence with zeal.
Pacheco, the youngest of Felicia Cannon’s five children, witnessed sorrow for the first time on January 10, 2016, when his elder brother, 29-year-old Travoise was fatally murdered in his Bridgeton apartment building. The accused attacker claimed self-defense, pleaded to third-degree hindering/hiding evidence, and received a three-year probation period.

“Ever since I was a child, [my brother] has been keeping an eye out for me,” Isiah Pacheco said. “I learned how to ride an electric four-wheeler from my brother. Riding four-wheelers and dirt motorcycles were something I’ve always enjoyed doing as a hobby. It was my mother’s first child.”

“My brother, if he was to see me here, he’d be shocked,” he said. “He encouraged me to play football as a kid and he never got the opportunity to see me play. 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 Pacheco claimed that he and his sister Celeste grew closer after the death of their brother. He still imagines her making brownies and dancing to rap music. She kept him humble despite his notoriety as a football recruit.
On September 20, 2017, Celeste was found dead at her Millville home from a gunshot wound to the head. Donald Scurry Jr., who was convicted guilty of murder in June and sentenced to 65 years in prison, was taken into custody by the authorities a week later.

If Isiah Pacheco’s tenacity and mental toughness were ever in doubt, consider this: on September 29, 2017, he participated in Vineland High’s 60-6 victory over Cumberland Regional that evening, rushing for 157 yards and three touchdowns. Pacheco also attended his sister’s funeral that morning.

On September 23, 2017, three days after his sister passed away, he ran for 222 yards and a score to help the Vineland defeat Egg Harbor Township 42–6.

Isiah Pacheco is in touch with his sister Celeste’s son

Praying on his knees before carrying the ball for Rutgers was a common sight for Isiah Pacheco. He went on, “And then I just put everything on the line for my family in the stands,” in remembrance of the person he had lost.

Pacheco is still very much a believer. Prior to joining Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, L’Jarius Sneed, and company, he frequently had church crosses painted on his face. He is even in touch with a significant individual his sister left behind: his nephew, whom Pacheco introduced to football.

“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,” Pacheco said. “But it’s sad thinking that my sister could be holding him right now.”

It also explains the strong runs he does, all in the pursuit of making his family, including his sister and brother, proud.