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A University of Minnesota football player has provided new insight into what the team was thinking when 

it called a boycott of football activities

 to protest the suspension of 10 players who were accused of sexually assaulting a woman after a September party.

Junior Gaelin Elmore, of Somerset, Wis., 

 that the team didn't think about the alleged victim of the assault.

Elmore says if the team had read the lengthy report about the alleged assault, the team likely still would have boycotted football activities to protest the way the suspensions and discipline were handled.

Elmore said he doesn't think there's a culture of disrespect for women on the team.

Elmore also said the 10 players who were disciplined were part of the team meeting to discuss whether to protest. It's not clear if anyone on the team asked them what happened in the off-campus apartment.

Shipley asked him if the team felt "betrayed" by the 10 players.

The school's athletic director wouldn't answer questions about the investigation, Elmore said, and when the team was considering ending the boycott, university president Eric Kaler was "in charge."

But before the boycott, coach Tracy Claeys told the team it could cost him his job, Elmore said.

"We were 108 young adult, adolescent teen males trying to do this, and we had no leadership," said Elmore, who said he'd take part in the boycott again although the team would "handle it differently."

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Bob Collins

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A University of Minnesota football player has provided new insight into what the team was thinking when it called a boycott of football activities to protest the suspension of 10 players who were accused of sexually assaulting a woman after a September party.

U of M football player says team didn’t consider alleged sexual assault victim

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