Coral Gables, Fla. ? Eric Winston has made some tough choices.

He picked Miami over Texas A&M, a decision that got him kicked out of his home and left him trying to rebuild strained family relationships.

He also chose to move from tight end — where he was to follow Kellen Winslow Jr. — to a less glamorous position, offensive tackle.

Both decisions couldn’t have worked out much better — for him or the No. 4 Hurricanes, who play in Winston’s home state Thursday night against Houston.

“Looking back, he has made some pretty astute decisions,” said Winston’s father, Robert.

Neither was easy, though.

Winston orally committed to Texas A&M as a senior at Lee High in Midland, Texas, in 2001. Texas A&M was close to home and was the school Winston’s stepfather attended. It seemed like an obvious choice.

Then he visited Miami.

The campus was beautiful, the university had a good business school, it wasn’t far from where his grandparents lived, and the football program was one of the best.

His decision suddenly wasn’t so clear.

Miami offensive lineman Eric Winston, left, blocks Louisiana Tech defensive lineman Moqut Ruffins during last weekend's game. Winston picked Miami over Texas A&M and has moved from tight end to offensive line. He had no idea both decisions would work out so well for him and the No. 4 Hurricanes, who play Thursday night against Houston.

Winston didn’t tell his mother and stepfather that he was wavering on his commitment. He told his father, who suggested he create a spreadsheet to analyze his options.

He rated the schools based on football, family, education and environment. But it came down to the final question: Where in his heart do he want to be?

“When he thought about that one, there was no doubt where he wanted to go,” Robert Winston said.

Even if it meant tearing apart his family.

Winston’s stepfather and mother were so upset by the news, they kicked him out of the house. Winston and his stepfather didn’t speak for months. His relationship with his mother was “pretty stressed.” Neither of them went to Winston’s signing day event at his high school.

“It got pretty ugly,” Eric Winston said. “I don’t think anybody is ready for that kind of thing. It put an enormous strain on my family. It was a bad deal, and was handled as poorly as you can by all parties involved. It definitely shouldn’t have gone that way.”

The upside was that Winston got to live with his father for the first time in a dozen years. They had spent plenty of time together, especially with dad coaching so many of his son’s teams, but this was different.

“It was the first time in a long time we hung out every day and every night,” Winston said. “We were always close, but we got really close. That part of it allows me to look back and say that not everything was negative about it.”

His mother and stepfather have attended several games. They also will be part of a large contingent on hand Thursday at Reliant Stadium, about 400 miles east of Midland.

Winston played behind Winslow for a season before coaches asked him to consider moving to left tackle in 2003.

Winston talked to several NFL scouts and general managers before making the transition.

“By the fifth practice, he was the best offensive linemen we had,” offensive line coach Art Kehoe said.

Now, after just one season, Kehoe calls Winston the school’s best ever — better than fiery center K.C. Jones and imposing tackles Leon Searcy and Bryant McKinnie.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound junior still runs the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds. He handles all line calls and is equally effective in pass protection and run blocking. He also is one of the strongest players on the team.

“The next guy I coach who’s 6-7, 310 and runs a 4.8, I’ll call you,” Kehoe said. “I may be dead or it may be the year 3000. I don’t know. I know I’ve never coached a kid with that many gifts. But he still has to prove himself.”