The Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl win in February was an extraordinary accomplishment for a team that hosted several rookies starting at key positions on both sides of the ball.
Isiah Pacheco, the Chiefs’ rising star running back, was particularly impressive during Kansas City’s championship run in the playoffs and told ESPN’s Adam Teicher about the areas of his game that he saw the most improvement in last season. By Pacheco’s estimation, it wasn’t anything that changed for him on the field, but rather how he responded to things happening in his life away from the gridiron.
“One of the [biggest] things I improved on, [is] eliminating the distractions,” Pacheco explained. “I could have a thousand things going on, a lot of people hitting my phone up. I just kind of sit it on silent, sit it to the side. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work.”
He elaborated further, telling Teicher that his ability to keep his mind clear and focus on the task at hand helped him to make such a crucial impact for the Chiefs in his rookie season.
“It happened so fast and for me, not expecting it but dreaming of it, putting [in] the work to get here,” Pacheco said. “I’m not surprised that the hard work got me here. I’m just surprised it happened so fast. It means the absolute world to me. Especially when you write down in your notes what your goals are and then you come back to them. For me, I’m going to come back to them, grab that pen and check them off.”
Clearly, the second-year Super Bowl champion is committed to putting forth the necessary effort to maintain his status as one of the most important cogs in Kansas City’s offense. With the help of Pacheco’s powerful running style and the benefit of the experience he gained in 2022, the Chiefs should be positioned to defend their title as world champions next season.
