Bernard Jackson, the University of Colorado's 2006 starting quarterback, looks out from a holiding cell during a court hearing Wednesday at Boulder County Jail.

Bernard Jackson

Lionel Harris

Two former University of Colorado football players likely will stay in jail for several weeks because they can’t post the $250,000 bonds set after their arrests in connection with an armed robbery of less than $500, according to attorneys and court documents.

With a row of supporters watching at the Boulder County Jail on Wednesday, Bernard Jackson, CU’s starting quarterback in 2006, and former safety Lionel Harris each were charged with 15 criminal counts, most of which are felonies.

The charges, all of which stem from the same night, include two counts of first-degree burglary — one for each of the two alleged victims — two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of menacing, second-degree burglary, first-degree criminal trespass and theft.

Several of those counts include a sentence-enhancing charge, meaning prosecutors can ask for harsher penalties because the alleged incident was a “crime of violence.”

“This is like looking at one event through a kaleidoscope and breaking it into 15 apparent parts when it’s really just one,” said defense attorney Alex Garlin, who’s representing Harris.

Jackson, so far, has been represented by an attorney with the Boulder County Public Defender’s Office.

The two men, both 23, were arrested over the weekend in connection with a home-invasion style armed robbery June 5 in an apartment complex in the 1000 block of University Avenue on University Hill.

They’re accused of breaking into the home, confronting the residents with handguns and fleeing the scene with less than $500, according to court records released Wednesday.

Officers are investigating whether other reports of criminal activity on University Hill in the past few weeks are related to the June 5 home invasion.

Jackson and Harris haven’t been charged in any other robberies.

“Each and every one of these counts apparently relates to allegations on the same day in the same place and relating to the same two alleged victims,” Garlin said.

One of the alleged victims is a CU senior studying international affairs, and the other is a CU junior studying history. Neither man has a criminal record in the state of Colorado, according to court documents. Neither man is on CU’s football squad.

Boulder police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley has said the intruders knew who the victims were, and, “It appears the suspects had particular reasons for targeting the victims and their locations.”

One man contacted Wednesday in the apartment unit that police said was robbed told a Camera reporter, “This is not supposed to happen in Boulder.” The man didn’t want to be named.

Following Wednesday’s hearing, Kim Moss — one of Jackson’s close friends — said, “This isn’t the person I know.

“I’m in shock,” Moss said of Jackson’s arrest.

“He’s been a good friend to my children,” she said. “He’s shown up at all my kids’ birthday parties.”

As the girlfriends of Jackson and Harris hugged outside the courtroom Wednesday, Harris’ attorney Garlin said the ex-player’s family is standing behind him.

“There are a lot of people who love him and care about him,” he said. “They know him to be a good person.”

Garlin said he didn’t ask the judge to reduce his client’s bond Wednesday because he needs more information before fighting the district attorney’s objection to a lower amount. He said he plans to fight for a reduced bond at a July 8 hearing.

“However unreasonably high the bond might be, Lionel has no choice but to accept it until there is an adequate opportunity to challenge it in court,” Garlin said. “For one reason or another, a quarter of a million dollar bond has been set, and he can’t make that.”

Jackson’s attorney didn’t ask for a bond reduction, and he’s scheduled for a preliminary hearing July 14.