Starting cornerback, backup running back kicked off team for 1 year, face burglary charges

SIU football coach Jerry Kill has suspended two Saluki football players for one year following their arrests for involvement in a residential burglary.

According to a press release from Carbondale Police Department Officer Randy Mathis, the department responded to reports of a residential burglary at Lewis Park Apartments at about 3:00 a.m. on June 19. Upon investigating the incident, Carbondale Police located and arrested Starting SIU cornerback Brandon Bruner and backup running back Justin Duckett.

Both individuals face felony residential burglary charges while Bruner was also charged with resisting arrest. Bruner and Duckett have a preliminary hearing date set for July 6.

Kill was not available for comment Monday, but SIU director of sports information, Tom Weber, said Kill did suspend the players for one year for “unspecified team violations.” They will not appear on the team roster in the media guide for the 2005 season, Weber said.

Last season, Bruner played in 12 games for the Gateway Conference Champion Salukis, recording 43 tackles and intercepting one pass.

With the graduation of All-American safety Alexis Moreland along with starting safeties Frank Johnson and Jamarquis Jordan and cornerback Yemi Akisanya, Bruner was expected to lead the Saluki secondary in 2005. With Bruner’s suspension, the Salukis secondary will likely rely on senior cornerback Brad Breshear, who played in 12 games as a backup in 2004 recording 15 tackles and one interception.

Duckett, a sophomore walk-on from Germantown Tenn., played in four games as a backup running back in 2004 netting 38 yards on 11 attempts.

Reporter William Ford can be reached at [email protected]