What position should I play?

Question
Hi, I am 6'2" and weight 230. I run a 4.7 40, bench 355, squat 420, and deadlift 480. I have no clue what football position I should aim for. I am currently training extremely hard to be a tight end. I will be attempting to join the SMU football team in 2 and a half years. Does tight end seem like a good position for me or should I choose another?

Answer
It's funny, as soon as you started mentioning your size, speed and strength I started thinking tight end.  Are you also a good blocker with the ability to catch?  Go for tight end, but do not limit yourself to just that position.  You may very well get to college (if you work for it) and they may find a completely different position for you.  I remember several years back there was a defensive end drafted out of Columbia University that started college as a 195 pound back.

Just judging you on your physical attributes I would also be thinking of inside linebacker.  Again this is all up to you.  How hard to you want to work for it?  How bad do you want it?  I had a player one season that on paper was a dream recruit.  He was 6'2", 260 and ran a 4.6 40.  In the weight room he would simply tell his teammates to "just throw weights on" and lift whatever was readily available.  I have never coached anyone with his physical abilities.  Unfortunately he played the game tentatively.  He had knee surgery his freshmen year and always worried about the knee.  He did not injure it again, but anytime he got cut he would go into self preservation mode.  During his senior year alone he played defensive tackle, defensive end, outside linebacker, tight end and fullback.

What it comes down to is what do you want?  How hard do you want to work for it?  Are you willing to play whatever position you are asked to play (this includes now)?

Work for what you want.  Be ready academically.  Work on developing more core strength.  Also, cleans are a lot more important than bench press.  They show true full body explosive strength.  Bench press looks nice on paper.  By all means have a high bench press, but it is not a very football specific lift.  Develop your core.

Finally, best of luck to you.  Please let me know ho you make out.