UH coach Tom Herman calls it "the hardest training camp in all of college football," where endurance and mind are tested and your body often aches.

And if the sweltering heat doesn't beat you down, one of the many "violent hits" will.

If you can't cut it, all you have to do is ring the brass bell near the corner of the end zone and walk away.

"We don't train for games," said Herman, UH's second-year coach. "We train for chaos."

Herman counted 1,334 live tackle-to-the-ground reps in the spring, and there was more of the same in the final week of preseason camp - "the meat grinder," as Herman put it - consisting of eight practices in five days. The most popular spot after practice? The row of cold tubs on the side of the Athletic/Alumni Center.

"One thing that is firmly ingrained in our culture is run and hit," Herman said. "Run as fast as you can, and hit somebody as violently as you can when you get there."

Cornerback Brandon Wilson compared camp with the military.

"They train for more than what they expect," he said.

Cornerback Howard Wilson said the attitude is part of "our new tradition."

"When you come here, be prepared to be very physical," he said.

Linebacker Steven Taylor said there was a "sense of accomplishment and honor" making it through camp.

The benefits of such a grueling camp are not reserved for current players. Herman said he received text messages from players on last year's squad who are in the NFL, thanking him for preparing them for the next level.

In his first season, Herman said, the Cougars had to spend time teaching what's expected in practice. This year?

Expectations evolve

"The expectations of how we practice are already instilled in the culture," he said. "Now you can focus on the details of each play call."

That doesn't mean the Cougars don't need the occasional reminder.

After a listless walk-through early in camp, Herman put the ball down, cranked up the music and said: "Let's go. Let's play football."

He also threatened to hold 4 a.m. practices.

At a time the NCAA is calling for a reduction in live contact during in-season practice (right now, it's a recommendation and not a mandate), Herman is a supporter of hitting as much as possible. He's mindful of player safety, including awareness of concussions, and says precautions can be taken, such as education and improving technique.

But Herman wants his team to practice like it will play.

With the start of a normal practice schedule Monday, Herman said the Cougars are dialing back some of the contact and focusing on game preparation for the Sept. 3 opener against third-ranked Oklahoma. The in-season schedule includes heavy practice days early in the week before UH scales back closer to game day.

Don't take a day off

"That's just how we do it," he said. "There's nothing in life that in any task, whether athletics or anything, that you can do at an elite level without practicing it. If you are going to be tough on Saturdays, you better be tough on Tuesday through Friday."

Players who made it through camp received from Herman and his staff a certificate that reads: "In honor of the successful completion of The Hardest Training Camp in ALL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL."

Players also received a red H-Town Takeover shirt with a big exclamation mark on the back, which replaces the ones with a gigantic question mark that were handed out in the offseason.

"We harped on them forever about keep hammering at the curve in the question mark," Herman said. "I didn't say massaging the curve. I didn't say talking really nice to the curve. I didn't say going really lightly on the curve. If you keep hammering the curve and that line straightens out, what does it become? It becomes an exclamation mark."