Mackenzy Bernadeau arrived back in Waltham for a very short visit on Tuesday.
Today, he leaves for the experience he has been working toward all summer.
The former Waltham High and Bentley College star, whom the Carolina Panthers drafted in the seventh round of this April's draft, reports to his first NFL training camp tomorrow.
Forever as humble in conversation as he is talented on the gridiron, Bernadeau knows it's a long road from the first day of training camp to the opening-day roster for Carolina's Sept. 7 game at San Diego. But he is determined to make the most of his chance.
``I am just ready,'' he said. ``Everything I've worked for has come down to this. I am excited and nervous.''
After being a three-year starter at Waltham High, Bernadeau was a four-year starter at tackle and guard at Bentley before injuring his knee and missing the last half of his senior year. Despite the setback, which caused him to miss the postseason all-star games, Bernadeau impressed scouts at the Boston College pro day and individual workouts.
Considered a borderline pick on draft day, the Panthers scooped him up 250th overall with the third-to-last pick of the second day.
The Panthers announced last Wednesday they had officially signed Bernadeau to a contract.
The 22-year-old Bernadeau, who will wear No. 65 with the Panthers during camp, returned to Waltham to finish school at Bentley, then was off to North Carolina for a six-week stretch of offseason workouts. He has recently spent much of his time at a New Jersey training facility getting himself physically ready for camp.
``Summer was busy,'' he said. ``It was working hard training, graduating school, going to the rookie symposium out in San Diego. It was a lot, but I was getting prepared for the bigger cause.''
One thing Bernadeau hasn't done much since the draft is spend time in Waltham. He said he wanted his focus - as much as possible - to be on football.
Fortunately, his family and friends understood.
``They are excited for me,'' he said. ``They say don't worry about things. Whatever is going to happen will happen.''
Bernadeau has already gotten a taste of what will happen from the rookie mini-camp and the time spent at the Panthers' facility in Charlotte.
``Just how intense it is and how much more intense it's going to get,'' he said of his impressions of NFL life. ``Running all of the plays was the biggest thing I had to adjust to. I had to learn a lot of different plays and different calls. (The play book) is a lot bigger (then Bentley's).''
Bernadeau said he ran sets against mostly third-string players during the spring, but got a sense of what it will be like when that changes starting with Saturday's first practice.
``Just seeing the first-string guys, and watching them, I know I have to step my game up a lot more,'' he determined.
He has already stepped up his weight training. The 6-foot-4 Bernadeau, who played at right around 300 pounds in college and was officially listed at 298 for the draft, said he bulked up as high as 320 pounds this summer and planned to hit camp right at 312.
``They talked to me about that and said they wanted me at 312,'' he said. ``So whatever they want, that's where I'll be.''
Saturday morning at 9:10, the Panthers will want him on the practice field right in the mix with the rest of the NFC South Division contenders.
That will be precisely the point where what they want and what he's always wanted finally come together.
