The hometown kid actually made it.

Phillip Lindsay’s dream began long ago while tossing a football with his siblings on the blacktop of their Denver neighborhood. Maybe you were in the bleachers when he became a South High School legend. Maybe you watched him carry the rock over and over and over again as a Buffalo to revive a sleeping college football program. Or maybe you just decided to pick him up for your NFL fantasy league.

Any way you slice it, Lindsay’s prominent role as a Broncos’ running back, pass catcher and do-it-all special teamer reminds us why we love sports. A torn ACL. No NFL Scouting Combine invite. Then a draft snub. Lindsay defied expectations at every turn, and on the second touch of his NFL debut last Sunday, he ran into the same end zone he envisioned so many times as a kid. The type of script made for the Hollywood screen.

Appreciate his improbable journey with an oral history of Phillip Lindsay’s rise to the Broncos.

Phillip was born on July 24, 1994, to parents Troy and Diane Lindsay. Phillip, 24, is one of five Lindsay children, all of whom who earned full-ride college scholarships for athletics.Two older sisters: Sparkle, 33, and Cheri, 29. Two younger brothers: Zach, 21, and Marcus, 19.

Troy: “Phillip never crawled on his knees. He did the crab-walk all over the place real fast. Right then you’re like, ‘This is something different here.’ ”

Diane: “I had named him the Tasmanian Devil when he was little because he would run all over the place. And he also had a great imagination. He would always have to dress up no matter what, whether it was Cowboys or Robin Hood or Batman. He would change clothes 100 times per day.”

Troy: “His sisters punked the little boy.”

Cheri: “I was the one doing the picking on. He was a little bit of crybaby.”

Sparkle: “He watched me play college basketball quite a bit. I was always out at the court and he was always with me. He ate, drank and slept sports like all the rest of us did. His work ethic came from watching his sisters never stop. And from there, he took it by storm.”

Troy: “Phillip started playing football when he was 8 years old and he played with the 9-and-10 year olds. Back then, they made him be a little lineman and he actually ended up being their player of the year. At about 12, he scored five touchdowns and most of them were on kickoffs.”

Cheri: “People were like, ‘Oh, we need to see his birth certificate. He must be older than everybody.’”

Sparkle: “He did everything: running back, receiver, kickoff return and defense. And Phillip was dunking a basketball at 14 years old.”

Troy: “I’ve always coached Phillip. When he left me in high school, he went to my brother Tony. He needed his uncle to say, ‘I don’t give a [expletive] what your dad says, you’re going to do this.’”

Tony: “His freshman year in the first game we played at Golden. We didn’t know what to expect. But we knew Phillip was good coming into it because we had him during the Broncos’ Futures program. Then in that game, I think he ended up rushing for about 140 yards. The way he was able to compete with those guys who were four years older than him was amazing to see.”

Troy: “His senior year, in his first game, he blew his knee out.”

Sparkle: “He scored a touchdown and didn’t even know his ACL was torn.”

Cheri: “He gets the surgery and bending and straightening just wasn’t happening. There were times I went home, my dad would sit on his back and we’d just kind of push that knee up to his butt. He’d be screaming. We were all crying, probably, because we knew how bad it hurt him.”

Troy: “He was already offered to go to Colorado. But (coach John) Embree got fired and we didn’t know what the heck was going to happen with Phillip. When (CU coach Mike) MacIntyre came in town, pretty much every high school coach in Colorado told him, ‘Hey, if you don’t keep that kid on scholarship, you’d be a fool.’ ”

MacIntyre: “The first time I ever met him, he couldn’t even bend his knee and weighed about 150 pounds. I just saw his energy inside of him that you see now and I said, ‘I’m going to take this guy no matter what. But I don’t know if he’ll ever play for us.'”

Sparkle: “Phil said, ‘Do you think everything is going to be OK?’ I said, ‘I know it.’”

Marcus: “He never lost faith.”

Lindsay set the career mark for all-purpose yardage (5,926) through four seasons at CU and led the Buffaloes back to their first bowl game in a decade. Lindsay’s teammates included quarterback Sefo Liufau, center Alex Kelley, running back Christian Powell and linebacker Derek McCartney. David Plati has led the Buffs’ sports information department since 1984.

Liufau: “When he first came in, I saw this guy in crutches with a knee brace on. We didn’t really know if he was going to be play, but every day I saw him rehabbing and working. He redshirted my freshman year, but boy did he give hell to that starting defense. He’s not scared of anybody.”

Denver Post file Rebels injured player Phillip Lindsay, right, congratulated wide receiver Cameron French (2) following South's first touchdown. The South High School football team blanked Wheat Ridge 17-0 Saturday afternoon, October 13, 2012.

Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post South RB Phillip Lindsay, left, facemasked by East DB Tristan Stacks, right, in the 1st half of the game at All City Stadium. Denver, CO. Friday, September 14, 2012.

John Leyba, The Denver Post Denver South senior running back Marcus Lindsay practices on Aug. 18, 2016 at South High School.



Daily Camera file Phillip Lindsay leads CU in all-purpose yards as a red- shirt sophomore. "Nothing stops him," says Buffaloes coach Mike MacIntyre.

Cliff Grassmick, The Daily Camera Phillip Lindsay, of CU, takes off on a record breaking night during the CU game with Arizona.

Denver Post file Sefo Liufau (13) of the Colorado Buffaloes throws a short pass to Phillip Lindsay (23) against the Colorado State Rams during the first half of the Rocky Mountain Showdown.



Daily Camera file Phillip Lindsay talks to reporters during CU Football Media Day on Aug. 9 2014.

Andy Cross, The Denver Post Colorado University football fans take a selfie with Colorado Buffaloes running back Phillip Lindsay #23 after the Buffs defeated the Washington State Cougars 38-24 at Folsom Field November 19, 2016.

Kelley: “It’s the middle of the season and he’s playing on the scout team against the starting defense. Phil tried to run over Josh Tupou, our starting nose tackle, and they started chirping at each other. Josh is a super big guy and Phil got right in his face ready to fight.”

Powell: “He stood his ground.”

Liufau: “We played Oregon in 2015 and early in the game against (defensive tackle) DeForest Buckner, something happened, and he asked Phil, ‘Do you know who I am?’ Then Phil just starts popping off, ‘I don’t care who you are! Come through the hole again!’”

McCartney: “Before our junior year (the 2016 Pac-12 South championship season), we were struggling as a team. … There was a time that summer when people weren’t showing up on time, people weren’t coming to workouts, people weren’t doing the right thing all the time in terms of football. We had like a giant intervention with the team.

“It wasn’t until Phillip got up and said something that it resonated well. He starts screaming, he was so passionate about what he was saying, and he’s calling people out by name and telling them exactly what they needed to do to be better. It was the first time I remember Phil really stepping up into to a vocal role. It showed everyone that Phil was for real.”

Liufau: “He ran for more than 200 yards against Arizona State. After, he actually brought the whole O-Line with him to the interview after and explained those guys were the reason he was so successful and how he couldn’t have done it without them.”

Plati: “If I had to rate all the players I’ve worked with over 35-plus years, I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone as humble as Phillip.”

Despite record-setting college production, Lindsay did not receive an invitation to the NFL’s Scouting Combine. But many scouts, including those from the Broncos, attended Lindsay’s CU Pro Day in March. One month later, the Lindsays gathered at their family home to watch three-day NFL draft on television.

Cheri: “We were trying to fill the time with stuff like dominoes, cards or getting out of the house a little bit. The phone calls and the text messages that were coming in weren’t that call. It was really frustrating.”

Troy: “We were all just sitting there kind of waiting to see if we were going to hear his name.”

Zach: “All these other running backs get drafted and my brother wanted to challenge them. He wanted to go against them.”

Troy: “Those were heartbreaking times for him. But he just said, ‘Dad, to hell with it. I’m going to make this anyway.’ And I figured he would.” Right after the draft, everybody called, but by then it was like, ‘Nah, he’s staying with the Broncos.’ He’s a homeboy, anyway.”

Zach: “It was the best thing that could have happened to him. Because when my brother gets mad or feels betrayed, he’s gonna go crazy. They just opened up a monster.”

Lindsay signed with the Broncos in April. Among those who witnessed his NFL rise include: Coach Vance Joseph, special teams coordinator Tom McMahon, quarterback Chad Kelly, receiver Courtland Sutton, safety Will Parks and defensive tackle Shelby Harris.

McMahon: “Our first introduction was at our local pro day. I fell in love with him that day.”

Kelly: “I didn’t know who he was and Phil comes up to me with his iPad. He’s already rocking and rolling. I start asking him some questions, I’ve been here for a couple weeks, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, I already know what to do on 50, 60, 70, swing, diagonal and flat.’”

Parks: “Every time you looked up in OTAs, he had the ball in his hands running like 40 yards for a touchdown. You already had a sense he was going to make this roster.”

Harris: “I remember during training camp there was a team period. A linebacker blitzed up the middle, we’re watching it on film, and Phil just stuck his little body all up in there and was willing to stone the blitz. You see bigger backs that don’t do that. Right then it was like, ‘This kid has heart.’ We call him Pit-bull. He refuses to say no.”

Sutton: “There was a play in practice where he was running a go-route. I remember thinking, ‘We’re going to let a running back do this? This is one of ours.’ He goes out there, lines up and he just smokes a linebacker and makes a heckuva catch on the sideline. I thought maybe he was lucky. But then he did it again. I was like, ‘OK, this dude can actually make plays.’”

Joseph: “What he’s done hasn’t been just because he’s a local kid, he has earned his right to be here.”

Kelly: “I even have friends back home who are drafting him in fantasy. Even my Uncle Jim was texting me after the first preseason game: ‘Man, I love No. 2. He’s a helluva player.’”

Lindsay locked up a roster spot and made his NFL debut wearing the same number of his childhood hero — No. 30, running back Terrell Davis. Troy and Diane attended last Sunday’s game eight rows up in the southwest corner of Mile High. Phillip’s siblings watched on television.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay (30) jogs off the field after an offensive series during the third quarter on Sunday, September 9 at Broncos Stadium at Mile High.

AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post Phillip Lindsay (30) of the Denver Broncos awaits a kickoff against the Seattle Seahawks during the Broncos 27-24 win at Broncos Stadium at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, September 9, 2018.

AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post Phillip Lindsay (30) of the Denver Broncos runs after a catch during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks. The Denver Broncos hosted the Seattle Seahawks at Broncos Stadium at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, September 9, 2018.



Denver Post file Phillip Lindsay (30) of the Denver Broncos during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks. The Denver Broncos hosted the Seattle Seahawks at Broncos Stadium at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay (30) trades jerseys with Seattle Seahawks defensive back Tedric Thompson (33) after the game on Sunday, Sept. 9 at Broncos Stadium at Mile High.

Troy: “Phillip had talked to Terrell Davis before. He said, ‘Dad, I’m going to call him and ask this man for permission to wear No. 30. I respect him and it’s out of respect.’”

Davis: “I didn’t expect him to reach out to me. It was like, wow, you just don’t see that. Nowadays you have a lot of young players who don’t understand the history of the game. A lot of them don’t care to understand. We talked on the phone and he told me about his mindset. He explained to me how he had my biography growing up, and how he lived his life and used it as a reference when he went through struggles. That made me feel good.

“It’s appropriate for him to have the jersey. I was like, ‘Make it yours, brother.'”

Troy: “Every morning before a game, Philip will call me. He knows I get up early, so he’ll call about 6 and we’ll talk about it. I’ll ask him how he’s feeling. He’ll let me know if he’s nervous or what’s going on with him. He has a little crystal that he’s gotta have. He’ll also say, ‘Tell mom I love her.”

Diane: “This is something he’s dreamed about forever and ever as a young child.”

Zach: “It’s a nerve-wracking feeling, because you want him to do good.”

Marcus: “I wasn’t sure how much he was going to play or not, and the next thing I know, I see that he’s in the game. Then I see him catch the ball.”

Cheri: “I looked up and I was like, ‘Oh, he has a lot of space.’”

Zach: “It was funny, because that Friday my brother said there was going to be a play where he went one-on-one with (rookie linebacker Shaquem) Griffin. He said, ‘This kid isn’t going to be able to hold me.’ Sure enough. Damn. He said it.”

Cheri: “My neighbors actually came downstairs and asked if everything was OK because I was screaming like a banshee.”

Troy: “Phillip is this tough guy, but he’s still a mamma’s baby. He’ll lay down at home and she’ll rub all that hair of his. Then me and him will just talk about everything. Anywhere from money to girls to whatever, we’re a real close family all the way around.”

Zach: “We talk every day on the phone. We really get into Call of Duty as a family, my brothers and sisters, and play online.”

Marcus: “All the football stuff is cool, but seeing him happy is the best thing ever.”

Cheri: “You have to prove to him he can’t do something. Or he’s just gonna try to do it.”

Troy: “Phillip has kind of a magic to him.”