Photo by Cliff Grassmick

Colorado quarterback Bernard Jackson is lifted above the crowd by fans celebrating CU’s first victory of the season in this 2006 photo. Jackson was arrested Friday evening in Boulder, and is being held on suspicion of first-degree burglary, aggravated robbery and felony menacing.

Friends, former teammates and school officials were stunned by news Saturday that former Colorado football players Bernard Jackson and Lionel Harris were arrested for first-degree burglary, aggravated robbery and felony menacing.

After five-year careers in college football and an education financed by scholarships, the pair figured to be interviewing for jobs this summer. Instead, they found themselves being booked into Boulder County jail in connection with the June 5 incident in Boulder with bail set at $250,000.

"It's disappointing when people fail to grasp the philosophy of 'excellence with class' that is Buff football," CU coach Dan Hawkins said in a statement. "It is even more upsetting when people fail to adhere to the written laws of man and the unwritten responsibilities of humanity.

"If these allegations are proven true, the entire University of Colorado community, as well as our society, will neither accept nor tolerate this behavior."

Jackson is just two years removed from a season spent as the starting quarterback and now faces the possibility of years in prison if found guilty. He was enrolled in classes in fall 2007, but chose not to attend school this spring in order to train in hopes of being drafted into the National Football League. He was not selected or signed as a free agent.

Jackson missed his senior season last fall after being ruled academically ineligible. At the conclusion of last season, Hawkins said he had been meeting almost daily with Jackson throughout the season in an effort to keep his former quarterback focused on graduation. Jackson has a 3-year-old son, Jayden.

Harris played his senior year mostly in a backup role last season and also has not graduated, despite taking classes this spring.

A source close to both former Buffs who did not want to be identified said neither player had a steady job but both had been doing odd jobs recently in an effort to earn money. Neither player's family could be contacted Saturday.

Some of their former teammates said they didn't feel comfortable talking about the arrests because they found it hard to believe either player could have been involved. Boulder Police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley said the players were identified by the victims of the "home-invasion-style" robbery.

CU wide receiver Scotty McKnight said he went to the movies with several teammates Saturday afternoon and all were bewildered by the news.

"It's really surprising," McKnight said. "It's shocking if that happened. They don't seem like those kind of guys at all."

Both players were recruited to CU by former coach Gary Barnett and his staff in 2003. Harris came to Boulder from Manvel, Texas, near Houston, as a highly thought-of safety prospect. He spent the majority of his career as a special teams player and a reserve defender making four interceptions.

Jackson was considered one of the most athletically gifted players on the team throughout his career, but coaches struggled to find the right position for him. He was moved from quarterback to wide receiver to kick return man to running back and back to quarterback.

He started at quarterback in 11 of 12 games in 2006, leading the team to a 2-10 record in Hawkins' first season as coach. He fell off the map the following spring, receiving few repetitions in practice and was replaced by redshirt freshman quarterback Cody Hawkins.

"We at the University of Colorado are committed to attracting student-athletes of character and quality in all our team sports, and I am personally disappointed that former Buff players appear to have fallen so short of meeting our standards," CU athletic director Mike Bohn said.