His wishes could be fulfilled this weekend when the National Football League conducts its annual draft.

"I've worked hard for so long," Elimimian said. "I hope that's enough."

Elimimian was the shut-down cornerback for the Warriors, a member of the 2004 All-Western Athletic Conference first team and a Senior Bowl participant. But all of those accomplishments might be offset because of a 4fl-second mistake in February.

At the invitation-only NFL combine in Indianapolis, Elimimian completed the 40-yard sprint in 4.73 seconds — a slow time in comparison to the 4.3s and 4.4s run by the top cornerbacks.

After that, it did not seem to matter that Elimimian bench pressed 225 pounds 14 times or had a vertical jump of 39 inches or, for that matter, ran 4.5 seconds in last month's private workout for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars.

His combine time might as well have been written in scarlet numbers.

Mel Kiper Jr., who analyzes the draft for ESPN, wrote that Elimimian's "subpar 40 time in the combine meeting proved to be a cause for concern."

Elimimian said he had been "advised" not to run the 40 until the private workout, preferring to use his four seasons at UH as a measurement of his talent.

He did not join UH teammates during testing last summer and he skipped the sprints at the Senior Bowl.

He expected to adhere to that strategy at the combine, but then changed his mind after a team repeatedly implored him to run.

"I got pressured into running," he said. "I wasn't hurt, but I wasn't ready to run. ... If you're not mentally ready, you shouldn't do it."

Focus on the 40

Rich Miano, a former NFL player who now coaches the UH defensive backs, said Elimimian's combine time received added attention because it was the only one on record.

"He put all of his eggs into that one day," Miano said. "That's the only (40 time the scouts) had of him."

Elimimian said: "It was one race. They say it's not going to kill you, but who knows? What I was told (by scouts) going in, 'You have a great resume.' My body of work is 4ý years at UH and the Senior Bowl."

Unfortunately for Elimimian, Miano said, cornerback "is the one position where (the 40 time) matters the most. The wide receivers (in the NFL) are so big and fast. There's no such thing as a possession cornerback. (Cornerbacks) have to run fast. You don't know who you're going to be matched against. You might have to play against the guy who runs 4.3."

At 5 feet 9ý and 192 pounds, Elimimian might be undersized for an NFL safety, although he played that position in the second half of the Senior Bowl.

Still, Miano is confident Elimimian has the skills to play professionally.

"He's not the fastest or the biggest, but he has the 'want to' and the belief he can be better than everybody else," Miano said. "When I first saw him, I didn't think he was very good. But he worked so much. He became a really good college football player."

Elimimian said his improvement surprised his father.

"He didn't know how good I was until he saw me play against Alabama (in 2003)," Elimimian recalled. "He knew I was OK, but he thought I was a better basketball player. After he saw me against Alabama, he was elated."

Work ethic instilled

Elimimian said his father always encouraged him to work hard and gain different experiences. In 1989, 7-year-old Elimimian and his family moved from Nigeria to San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Elimimian became a popular figure and, when his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 16, he learned to adjust to the urban lifestyle.

"And then I lived in paradise," Elimimian said of his college years.

Elimimian, who earned a bachelor's degree in December, said he is ready for the next phase of his life. Miano predicts Elimimian will be drafted "in the late rounds," citing his sure tackling and aggressive pass coverage.

"When I was in high school, Hawai'i was the only team to offer me a scholarship," Elimimian said. "I had to go out and prove myself. I'm willing to prove myself all over again. Maybe I'll get drafted late or maybe not at all, but I'll be a better man for it. I'm going to keep working hard. I've always believed it's not where you start but where you finish."