Jaime Hill knows pressure. He insists it's easy to take off, and to apply.

"I'll take the pressure off him," Hill told me last week. "All the pressure will come to me. You don't have to worry about anything. I can take any guy that's here ... no worries. The only pressure you're going to have is from us and yourself. The outside pressure doesn't matter."

The defensive coordinator Hill recruited Chambers, who has already spouted off to the media (ESPN.com) about his teammates.

Tuesday, Hill was a more central figure in sending -- or was it accepting? -- some heat.

He angrily told redshirt freshman safety Jordan Pendleton to keep moving to the locker room and not talk with reporters after practice. Something about not having "earned" that privilege. The impromptu policy didn't mesh with the program's usual all-access generosity with media.

The player chucked his helmet and, according to a couple of media members, muttered that Hill was off his Christmas card list. Or something like that. The defensive coordinator and player have unwittingly made every other issue with the Cougars go away, at least for a couple of days publicly as media gets bored with fall camp (except for these quotable fiascos).

This was good gossip to help fans lose focus of: the injuries to a few key figures; a lack of depth showing in the second week of practice; the issue that cornerbacks appear to be getting burned a little too often.

Hill has the pressure because it's his side of the ball, with so much inexperience, that more often looks shaky.

He arrived at BYU after three years in the Canadian Football League and has seen places that aren't gridiron enclaves. A couple of outposts he's visited are now museum artifacts and trivia questions, like Sonoma State and the XFL. He's been to the NFL, too.

He's seen it all.

Which has to make this a little frustrating, because Hill has been here before, too -- a public spat with a BYU player.

It was his first fall camp at BYU, 2006, when secondary member Cole Miyahira was suspended for the season opener because of an argument that concluded with the player getting kicked out of practice early. Now Pendleton has been filling in at strong safety the past couple of days for David Tafuna (concussion).

Pendleton missed Wednesday morning's practice with flu-like symptoms, Mendenhall said. Did the struggling player feel like garbage Tuesday and Hill didn't know? There could be more than we'll ever know, except no one's getting punished in front of anyone.

What is also obvious: The coach has to recognize the coverage, so to speak.

It's an awkward spot, especially for Mendenhall, but Hill's seen tougher.

Although challenges have arisen, Provo has mostly worked out for the best for Hill. After so many moves, his twin daughters should get to finish their final two years at Timpview High.

The Hills have also been able to support the coach's nephew, who has moved around because of various deaths in the family.

Hill's sister died in 2003, at age 34, from diabetes. Then his parents have passed away in the last 18 months. The coach, raised in a military family, brought one more onboard from his native California.

He already knows what the young player is about to find out, if Pendleton isn't aware already: It's not the hardship which gets the harshest judgment.

It's the recovery.

And there are a lot tougher obstacles out there than this little spat.

• Jason Franchuk can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it