The legend of Kapri Bibbs continues to grow.

If you watched Sunday night’s 30-20 loss by the Denver Broncos to the rival Oakland Raiders, you saw a dazzling display by Denver’s backup running back. That 69-yard screen pass turned touchdown was quintessentially Bibbs, through and through, and if you saw him play in Fort Collins, you know that to be true.

Bibbs’ journey to the NFL hasn’t been easy. In fact, his trek to become the single-season leader in yards and touchdowns in Colorado State history was anything but easy.

The 23-year old Chicago native was remarkable as a prep, rushing for 4,210 yards and 61 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Plainfield North High School, but he didn’t move onto a Division I college program. Instead, Bibbs had to settle for junior college football at Snow College in 2011, rushing for 415 yards and six scores that year.

Related Watch Kapri Bibbs take a short pass 69 yards for a touchdown

Grades prevent Bibbs from moving to Colorado State in 2012 and he instead spent the fall at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, where the “Legend of Kapri Bibbs” (coined by then-Colorado State coach Jim McElwain) began.

Bibbs transferred to CSU mid-year and began to prepare for the 2013 season with the Rams. But he wasn’t the starter for Colorado State that season. He began the year as the team’s third-best back, in fact. Sound familiar?

Redshirt senior Chris Nwoke and junior Donnell Alexander – solid running backs in their own respect – were the ones to start the first five games of the season. That’s right, Bibbs had to wait until that fifth game, his first 100-yard plus contest (13 carries for 147 yards) to finally earn the starting running back job. Was McElwain teaching him a lesson, or did he think Alexander and Nwoke gave CSU the best chance to win? We’ll never know for sure.

What we do know is Bibbs never gave up that starting spot.

His first start was lackluster (73 yards) in a loss to San Jose State. Then, he broke out. The Rams dominated their rival, the Wyoming Cowboys 52-22 and Bibbs rushed for 203 yards and three touchdowns. That started a streak of five straight games in which the running back scored three or more touchdowns.

In a win over Nevada, Bibbs cleared the 300-yard mark (312 yards)and added four touchdowns. The next week, in an offensive shootout, he rushed for 291 yards and six scores, pushing the Rams to a 66-42 win in New Mexico. He was unstoppable, it seemed, until Utah State shutout the Rams 13-0 in the second-to-last game of the year.

Colorado State was hungry in their season finale, though, hosting another rival in the Air Force Falcons, blowing them out 58-13. Bibbs again rushed for three scores.

And in the New Mexico Bowl, CSU defeated Washington State 48-45 thanks to not only Bibbs’ remarkable rushing (169 yards, 3 TDs), but also the phenomenal play of Shaquil Barrett – another current Broncos player. Barrett forced a fumble with 1:21 to play, setting up the game-tying touchdown run by Bibbs – highlighted by Alexander’s diving two-point conversion on a statue of liberty play – and then Steven Michel forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, setting up the winning field goal.

When the season was said and done, Bibbs finished with 1,740 yards and 31 touchdowns, joining only Barry Sanders and Montee Ball to run for 30-plus scores in one season. And he didn’t even start the first five games of the year; amazing.

How did he get to the end zone so often? First, it’s important to point out his offensive line was superb. Weston Richburg, considered one of the top centers in the NFL today, was the anchor of the line and Ty Sambrailo was at left tackle among other veteran blockers. Bibbs learned to be patient, to wait for holes to open and then accelerate through them.

His top-end speed isn’t the greatest, even though Bibbs scored many 50-plus yard touchdowns in 2013 at Colorado State. But Bibbs’ short-area acceleration is astounding, and his top attribute is his superb vision, seeing plays develop even before they do. He also is better than average at cutting the ball back when no hole opens up; we saw it all on display Sunday night.

Late in the game, the screen called to him was perfectly timed, as the Raiders rushed four and Denver set up Bibbs with three blockers. He waited for them to set their blocks before taking off, then cutting back to the right side of the field, again allowing blockers to catch up and protect him before running and leaping into the end zone.

For two and a half years, Bibbs sat on Denver’s practice squad, rarely earning handoffs even in preseason, let alone the regular season. Now, with C.J. Anderson out for the year with an injured meniscus, Bibbs has been bumped up to the No. 2 back. And with Devontae Booker struggling Sunday, it was Kapri’s chance to shine. He did just that.

Is it time to give Bibbs the ball more? It sure seems that way. Of course, if he’s to be effective – or if Booker is, as well – they will need Denver’s offensive line to block better as they were bullied all day.

But get Bibbs out into space and watch out. He could just trot to the end zone using his patience, balance and vision.