Isiah Pacheco. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Philly suburb throws victory parade for Kansas City Chief

By Bruce Ewing | Last updated 4/24/23

While Eagles fans debate the merits of drafting a running back in the first round, one Philadelphia suburb just held a victory parade for a Kansas City ball carrier.

Vineland, N.J. , is about 35 minutes south of Philadelphia. It’s a town known more for agriculture than football, but on Sunday residents honored Isiah “Pop” Pacheco, a homegrown talent and starting running back for the Chiefs.

Roughly 2,500 fans came out to see Pacheco, who was selected out of Rutgers in the seventh round by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 NFL Draft. The “ Parade For Pop” started late Sunday morning on popular Landis Avenue and finished with a rally at Gittone Stadium, the same stadium where Pacheco played his high school career.

The party is really getting underway now@VinelandFB @Chiefs @RFootball @isiah_pachecoRB pic.twitter.com/hdDwYjRgp2
— Tom McGurk (@McGurkSports) April 23, 2023

At the rally, Pacheco thanked the city, his friends and family, his coaches and teammates and the Chiefs organization during a brief but emotional speech.

“It’s an honor to my family and I that the city of Vineland is having a parade for me,” Pacheco said. “It’s important to me because I grew up here and the person I am today is because of Vineland. I love the city and the people there.”

Pacheco played in all 17 games as a rookie, rushing for five touchdowns and 830 yards during the regular season, but really made his mark in the postseason. Pacheco ran for 197 yards in the playoffs while averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

More importantly, his touchdown helped the Chiefs overcome a six-point deficit in the third quarter of Super Bowl LVII. Pacheco rushed for 76 yards against his hometown team and finished as the game’s leading rusher.

While most of South Jersey was disappointed by the results of the Super Bowl, the city of Vineland would love to have another parade. Per Oddschecker, the Chiefs are favored to win Super Bowl LVIII.

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