5 Rutgers Football Players Suspended After Being Hit With Criminal Charges

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Five Rutgers University football players have been suspended after one was charged in multiple home invasions and four others were charged with assaulting a group of people in New Brunswick in April.

The charges are the latest blow to a program whose head coach is embroiled in an academic investigation.

Police on Thursday arrested a total of 10 people who face charges that include armed robbery and burglary, CBS2's Matt Kozar reported.

The arrests stemmed from a series of crimes the five Scarlet Knights players are accused of taking part in, the first of them in April.

In that incident, several Rutgers football players and two former students attacked and broke the jaw of a 19-year-old male student on Delafield Street, investigators said.

Sophomore Brianna Hanson is friends with the victim.

"He did have to go to the hospital and get treated there. He was there for a day or two," she said. "We were all really sad because he was such a great person and he wasn't doing anything wrong."

And during three home invasions in April and May -- including one at a dormitory -- the suspects stole cash and marijuana from students and used a gun, bat and knife as their weapons, prosecutors said.

Former student and football player Tejay Johnson and Andre Boggs, a 20-year-old defensive back, were charged with armed robbery and burglary.

Four more players – Nadir Barnwell and Razohnn Gross, both 20; and Ruhann Peele and Delon Stephenson, both 22 – are charged with aggravated assault, riot and conspiracy to commit a riot.

One suspect, Daryl Stephenson, a former Rutgers student from Sayreville, remains at large, Kozar reported.

Barnwell, Boggs and Stephenson were starters on the team.

"We continue to monitor the situation," Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann said. "We will have no further comment as this is a pending legal matter."

In a statement, athletic director Julie Hermann said: "The students involved are currently suspended from our program. We continue to monitor the situation."

The arrests come on the heels of an internal investigation of coach Kyle Flood into whether he violated school or NCAA rules by contacting a faculty member about the academic status of one of the players now charged, defensive back Barnwell, who was reportedly in danger of not passing a class.

When asked about the university investigation, Flood said, "I'm going to continue to respect the process, and I won't have any further comment until the end of the process."

Flood is expected to coach in Rutgers' season opener against Norfolk State on Saturday.

The coach refused to speculate on whether he would be disciplined, saying he'll respect the process. He also wouldn't say whether he had a contingency plan for who would coach the team if he was suspended or fired.

"It's not something we do as a coaching staff. I have a very talented coaching staff, so I have guys that have been head coaches. But again, I will be coaching the game on Saturday,'' Flood said.

Despite the recent arrests, Rutgers students were defending their school late Thursday. Senior Felix Young said the bad behavior of a few does not define the student body.

"Obviously, sometimes bad things happen, but I encourage everyone to keep their heads up and look out for each other," Young said.

Meanwhile, the scene and feeling at practice was different Thursday.

There was a higher security presence, with a security officer blocking Scarlet Knights Way, the road to the Hale Center. More Rutgers officials than usual attended practice.

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