Atonio Mafi NFL draft diary: You’ve got to take the time to enjoy the process

As offensive lineman Atonio Mafi transitions from UCLA to the NFL, he is sharing his journey with Times staff writer Ben Bolch through a weekly diary leading up to the draft April 27-29. This week, Mafi discusses the most important lessons he’s learned and the advice he would give anyone going through the same process.

You’re not in college anymore. It’s time to act like a pro.

That was one of the most important lessons I’ve learned these last few months while prepping for the NFL draft. Unlike my time at UCLA, when my scholarship was basically guaranteed, nothing is assured about professional football. You’re trying to take another grown man’s job and his livelihood, so you can’t go into this timid or shy, you’ve got to be all in and go all out.

There’s only 53 players on an active NFL roster. Even if you get drafted and make the team, you can get replaced at any time. You’ve got to be able to stick. So that’s been my mission, to build and maintain the habits that will give me the best chance to have a long career. Your job’s never safe, so you just have to keep working.

The NFL guys I’ve talked to the last few months have told me that having the right mindset is the most important thing. What worked for you in college might not work now, so you’ve got to figure out what helps you get in that right mental space and make sure you take care of that first before you can work effectively.

Everyone in the league is just as fast as you, everyone’s just as strong. What matters is if you’re willing to get better as the season progresses. Staying hungry is what can keep you around.

Someone’s paying you millions of dollars to do a job and do it at a high level, so you’ve just got to try to find that balance. You have to remember at the end of the day it’s still a game but understand why there is so much pressure because there’s a lot of money on the line.

It sounds like a heavy burden, and it sort of is. I just keep reminding myself that this is the game I love to play, this is the dream and what I’ve been working toward for so long. So you’ve got to take the time to look around and enjoy the process.

If I could go back and give advice to myself four months ago, when I signed with my agent while riding the team bus to the airport after the Sun Bowl, it would center on being a lot more open-minded and relaxed. I’d say I was a little nervous and timid at first, having my guard up when I first started training in Florida. Sometimes I just thought about everything too much.

These last few months have gone by a lot quicker than I had imagined they would, from the training to the East-West Shrine Bowl to pro day and now getting ready for draft day. I’d tell anyone going through this process to just accept everything as it comes and what happens is going to happen.

Meeting with teams was daunting at first, but you get used to it pretty quickly. Don’t be scared to be yourself because at the end of the day, this is a job interview and they want to know who you are. Putting up a facade you’re going to have to maintain if they pick you would hurt everyone involved. Let the team that wants you most accept you for who you are.

So get comfortable and do it as fast as you can, don’t try to take it slow and figure it out later. Just be open to everything from the start and things will tend to work out.

You’re not in college anymore. It’s time to act like a pro.