NFL draft diary: Bene' Benwikere getting in top shape

USA TODAY Sports recruited 11 prospects to chronicle their journey to the NFL Draft. Today's entry is from San Jose State cornerback Bene' Benwikere, reporting from the Los Angeles home of his trainer, former NFL defensive back Matt Ware.

I know when you get to an NFL team, it's rookie minicamp and you're by yourself, so I'm just trying to make sure I'm as in shape as possible now. Since about a week after pro day, I've been trying to taper things more specifically to doing ball drills and being conditioned, because I know it's going to be a lot of running and I know they want to make sure that they're getting somebody that is going to make the plays and is going to be able to stay healthy. Basically, they want somebody that's not lagging behind – they want people that's going to finish first all the time.

Matt and I have been doing a lot of DB drills and a lot of speed work. I'm also going on my own to the parks and running. I have a friend that works at a UFC gym, so I've been going there to work out with her and she has been putting me through boxing cycles, which helps out with cardio. I've been doing track workouts. My trainer has been taking me to the beach, running me in the sand and doing DB drills in the sand, trying to make sure I stay low in my backpedal. I'm just working on everything so I can give somebody a nice little workout, show them I'm prepared.

I've had one workout with the Carolina Panthers, and I also have upcoming workouts with the 49ers on April 25th and the Raiders on the 26th, back to back. Besides that, I've been getting a lot of calls from teams – just checking in, making sure they have the right number for draft day, asking more security questions and that whole thing and having little conversations with different coaches.

I've pretty much been in California my whole life, so playing in the Bay Area – that'd be cool. It'd definitely be familiar. But I don't think it'd hurt me to go out and experience something else either, just kind of get a change of scenery and refocus. I also think if I go somewhere else outside the Bay Area, there's not many people I'll know. It'll give me more time to just focus straight on the team and football.

I woke up on the 8th of April and I was like, 'Dude, we're a month away. I'm excited. Finally, I can get some news.' And honestly, it's been feeling like it hasn't come fast enough. I've been hanging out with my guys that I went to high school with and we've been talking about all the trips and visits they have to take, or talking to the guys that I know that are in the NFL and they're giving me advice about how rookie minicamp is going to go and how training camp's going to be, how long the season is, how your body holds up.

I'm ready to join that and be a part of that already. I'm ready to bond with the team. I'm ready to go through training camp. I'm ready to go out there and make these plays.

Follow Bene' Benwikere on Twitter @Benwik_CHOSEN1.