Charcandrick West’s emergence not a surprise to Chiefs running backs coach Eric Bieniemy

Abilene Christian serves as the educational institution for fewer than 5,000 college students, but in an urban Texas city, it’s the largest of three universities. The school’s football team played its first game in 1919, and nearly 100 years later, the Football Championship Subdivision program served as the training ground for an unlikely Chiefs running back.

Well, unlikely for some. Not necessarily for all.

It was Abilene, Texas, in fact, where Chiefs running backs coach Eric Bieniemy first evaluated former Wildcats tailback Charcandrick West. As for first impressions, West made a good one.

“My whole thought process was, why wasn’t this kid involved in the (NFL) Combine? This kid is a unique kid,” Bieniemy recalled Monday. “The thing is — the same things that he’s doing right now were the same things that he did in college.”

Yet, as 30 teams cycled through 256 selections for the 2014 NFL Draft, West’s name was never called. Not by the Chiefs. Not by anyone.

He signed with the Chiefs two days later, and in fewer than two seasons, the conversion to the NFL — one Bieniemy forecasted — has come to fruition.

West ran for 97 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs’ 45-10 win Sunday against Detroit, filling in admirably for the second straight week for the injured Jamaal Charles. West is averaging 4.6 yards per attempt this season after not receiving any carries over the first three weeks.

“You know what — (I’m) not surprised but impressed,” Bieniemy said. “He’s had a great teacher and role model in Jamaal, and Jamaal’s done a great job of laying the foundation. (West) is just one of those kids — he has a unique way of carrying the football. He finds a way to make things happen. He’s doing a great job — knock on wood.”

Bieniemy says West, who he described as a “happy-go-lucky kid,” was a versatile back in college. In a pass-heavy program, West never managed to top the 1,000-yard rushing mark. But he was a weapon in the passing game, where he caught 32 passes in his senior season.

Those traits are starting to emerge with the Chiefs. West caught four passes in the Chiefs’ win Sunday after catching two in a win against the Steelers in the previous game. But when asked where West has shown the most improvement in his 17 months in Kansas City, Chiefs coach Andy Reid replied, “I would probably say No. 1 is (pass) protection.

“We knew he could run the ball — pretty good at that — but having to learn all the different protections and then the techniques involved in blocking some of those guys, I think is where he’s improved the most.”

The added dimensions have helped West supplant last year’s top backup, Knile Davis, as the go-to option with Charles out for the rest of the season. West rarely left the field in the Chiefs’ win Sunday — the same workhorse role he enjoyed at Abilene Christian.

“I’m blessed, man,” West said after the win against the Lions. “Just work hard, keep working — you never know what can happen.”