Some of the NFL’s top speed burners gathered last weekend for the inaugural 40 Yards of Gold race competition and an under-the-radar player nearly stole the show: Broncos running back Khalfani Muhammad.

“I strongly believe that I’m the fastest in the NFL,” Muhammad told The Denver Post. “This was an opportunity to go out there, show that and prove it.”

Muhammad, a 2017 Tennessee seventh-round draft pick signed to Denver’s practice squad in December, was sitting on a plane last month when he got a text message from his agent with an invitation to compete in 40 Yards of Gold. Muhammad knew nothing about the event, but after a little research, he immediately accepted the opportunity.

The 16-runner, bracket-style tournament competition was promoted as a 40-yard dash race between eight of the fastest offensive and defensive players in the NFL with a $1 million prize. Former six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson hosted the event in Sunrise, Fla.

Muhammad was given a tryout to determine the order of alternate runners should a participant be unable to go. He posted the top alternate time and was rewarded when several players dropped out, such as Saints wide receiver Tedd Ginn Jr. and Redskins cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Muhammad replaced Ginn and in the first round and faced Raiders’ wide receiver Jacoby Ford; a former All-America sprinter at Florida State.

That didn’t falter Muhammad’s confidence. His father, Malik, sprinted for Puerto Rico in the 1984 Olympics, and those genes were passed down to his son.

Need proof? In 2012, Muhammad clocked the second-fastest 100-meter dash time — 10.22 seconds (wind-aided) — in California high school history.

“I told myself, if I ran 10.1, I might have to go run track (professionally) and I was literally .03 seconds away from it,” Muhammad said. “That was a life-changing moment because I stuck with football and I’m here now.”

Muhammad, who starred in track and football at the University of California, put that speed to use against Ford and rolled to victory. He then blazed past Jets wide receiver J.J. Jones in the second round to set up an offensive bracket final versus Marquise Goodwin. The 49ers’ wide receiver was the top long jumper on Team USA’s 2012 Olympic team and entered as a front-runner to claim the $1 million prize. A Muhammad win might vault the NFL unknown into newfound league notoriety.

But Muhammad won’t sugar coat what happened next.

Goodwin, the eventual 40 Yards of Gold winner, defeated him with ease. “I got blasted off the block,” Muhammad said. But he still wouldn’t trade the experience.

Muhammad, 24, will begin Broncos training camp later this month with the goal to carve out a niche in the backfield and on special teams. There are no guarantees 40 Yards of Gold will happen next summer while NFL players weigh potential health risks and organizers determine the pay-per-view payouts. Goodwin was reportedly told to wait several days to cash his winning check. Official times from the event were not released.

If given another chance to sprint against the NFL’s best, you can bet Muhammad will show up.

“You get a lot of players talking about how they’re the fastest in the NFL, so it’s about time we have an event where it showcases it. Put them on the line and we’ll see,” Muhammad said. “I like it and I think it’s going to grow and blossom from what we saw this year into something bigger.”