JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Denard Robinson wears No. 16, his college number, and is listed as a wide receiver because that is a wide receiver number in the NFL. However, he is really a running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

He got a start against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and set the tone on the Jaguars’ first offensive play when he exploded for 14 yards.

“The offensive line fired off the ball, and I was like, ‘I’ve got to do the same thing. I’ve got an opportunity, so let’s go,'” he said.

Robinson made the most of his chance, rushing for 127 yards on 22 carries in a Jacksonville’s 24-6 victory. He became the first Jaguar to rush for 100 yards since Jordan Todman gained 109 yards in a 27-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills last December.

Robinson then topped his day with an 8-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

“I saw the opening and hesitated a little bit and bounced it outside,” he said. “I was like, ‘I can’t get denied.’ It was my first touchdown, and it was amazing. It’s a great feeling to experience something that you’ve dreamed about your whole life. As a little kid, I thought about scoring a touchdown in the NFL, and I did it.”

The good showing against the Browns also completed his long journey from being a college quarterback to a running back in the NFL. Robinson was no stranger to big-time football when the Jaguars drafted him on the fifth round in 2013.

Playing in the Big House at Michigan, he played in 49 games and started 37, 35 at quarterback and two at running back. He holds the NCAA record for career rushing yards by a quarterback at 4,495 yards.

However, running the ball as a quarterback in college and doing it in the NFL are two different things.

“I came in not even knowing what position I was going to play,” he said.

The Jaguars didn’t seem to be sure either, as they labeled him an offensive weapon. There was talk of him being a Wildcat quarterback or a receiver before they settled on running back.

“They told me I was going to play running back,” he said. “I didn’t know how to do it. How to make the right steps to come off, how to block a guy or anything like that. I had to work on how to get the ball in the backfield because I was used to getting the ball from the gun. It’s a big difference, but I’ve just got to work harder.”

It didn’t help that before training camp last year, he sliced a big cut on his right hand between his thumb and the forefinger while peeling potatoes.

It took 10 stitches to close the wound and made it difficult for him to hold the ball, leading to fumbling problems. Robinson wound up carrying only 20 times for 66 yards last season. His longest run was a 24-yarder against Buffalo, and he fumbled on the 1-yard line.

Robinson, though, never lost confidence.

“I’m always a positive person, and I always feel like I can make things happen and I can work for it,” he said. “Anything in life, you have to work for it. Nothing comes to anybody, so I feel like I always go to work for it. I wanted to put on my hard hat and let’s go.”

He worked hard in the offseason on being a running back and gained about 15 pounds.

Still, Robinson was only expected to be a backup, a change-of-pace runner. However, Toby Gerhart has had injury problems and rookie Storm Johnson gained only 21 yards in 10 carries against Tennessee the previous week, so the Jaguars gave Robinson a shot. He gained 22 yards on five carries against the Titans.

Coach Gus Bradley was somewhat vague when he was asked about it, but Robinson figures to get more opportunities.

“Yeah, I think so,” Bradley said. “We’ll look at the film. We hope so. He did a good job, and we hope to get Toby back.”