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Former Rutgers football players Marques Ford, left, and John Bowers were accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by a Rutgers student. (File photo)

NEW BRUNSWICK -- A Rutgers University freshman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by two football players last year received a written apology from one of her alleged attackers, her attorney said.

The unidentified woman filed a lawsuit last week alleging football players Marques Ford and John Bowers sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious after drinking shots in a campus apartment on November 15, 2015.

The woman went to the hospital in the hours after the alleged assault and also contacted police, her attorney said.

Ford and Bowers, who have not been charged, both left Rutgers and transferred to other schools.

The lawsuit also accuses Rutgers officials of creating a "sexually hostile educational environment" and encouraging the football players to change their stories about the alleged attack.

Rutgers officials declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Reached by phone, Ford declined to comment on the sexual assault allegations or the lawsuit.

"I'm not going to say anything," Ford said.

Bowers did not respond to requests to comment.

Bowers was dating the then-18-year-old woman at the time of the alleged attack, the lawsuit said. He allegedly sent her a series of messages apologizing for the assault and blaming Ford for getting them both drunk.

In one message, Bowers allegedly told the woman that Ford "took advantage of both me and you and raped you while you weren't even coherent," the lawsuit said.

In other messages, Bowers allegedly wrote he was "disgusted" with his own behavior.

"I'm so so sorry sorry this happened. I never will put you in a situation like that again and right now I do hate myself for it I don't even know what to do with myself. I'm so angry and upset at myself I don't know what to do," Bowers wrote, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit did not say if the written messages were texts, emails or letters.

The woman's attorney, Jeffrey Fritz, urged anyone with information about the 2015 incident in the Silvers Apartments in Piscataway to contact police or his law firm.

"The case remains under investigation with the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office," Fritz said.

A spokesman for the prosecutor's office declined to confirm or deny if investigators were looking into the incident.

The woman went to a hospital emergency room and contacted police immediately after the alleged assault, Fritz said. A Rutgers investigation concluded in May that there was enough evidence for the school to charge Bowers and Ford with "sexual assault or non-consensual sexual contact" in violation of the student code of conduct, the lawsuit said. Rutgers officials declined to comment.

Bowers told football officials about the incident on or around Nov. 18, the lawsuit said. Both Bowers and Ford were suspended from the football team by then-Coach Kyle Flood the next day, the lawsuit said.

Bowers, of Midland Park, was a 6-foot-1, 190-pound punter for Rutgers football team at the time. He transferred to the University of Rhode Island, the school's football team announced in February.

Ford was a 6-foot-4, 220-pound defensive end from Riverview, Fla., and one of Rutgers' highest-rated recruits under Flood. He didn't play in any games during the 2015 season and announced he was transferring on Dec. 20, about a month after the alleged assault.

"It all came down to me just being uncomfortable there," Ford told NJ Advance Media at the time of his transfer. "Being that far away from home -- not saying I'm homesick, but being that far away from home, it just wasn't a good feeling."

Ford attributed his decision in part to the firing of Flood, who left Rutgers after a losing season and a series of problems in the football program. Ford said he did not speak with new coach Chris Ash about the decision to transfer.

Ash declined comment on the situation Monday through an athletics department spokesman.

Ford went to Jones County Junior College in Mississippi earlier this year, then announced earlier this month that he was transferring again to play football for East Carolina University starting in 2017. A spokesman for the university said Ford is not currently a student.

The lawsuit alleges Rutgers football officials knew Ford, who had been dropped by Tennessee before Rutgers picked him up in 2015, had a juvenile record in Florida that included charges of underage drinking and lewdness.

"Rutgers University failed to take appropriate actions to protect plaintiff against sexual harassment at Rutgers, despite having actual notice of the past lewd and/ or inappropriate conduct," the lawsuit alleges.

The alleged victim, who is from Passaic County, also transferred from Rutgers to an unidentified school after failing most of her classes in the wake of the alleged assault. She suffered from physical injuries after the incident and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the lawsuit. She continues to see a therapist.

She is asking for an unspecified amount of damages, along with attorney's fees, according to the lawsuit.

Staff writers Keith Sargeant, Tom Haydon and Fausto Giovanny Pinto contributed to this report.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.