DePaul guard Katlyn Gilbert's son a big Blue Demons fan; and they love him right back
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Katlyn Gilbert transferred from Notre Dame to Missouri and is now at DePaul for her final year of NCAA eligibility, a decision to be closer to family.
The Indianapolis native is playing on a Blue Demons team she says feels like a family who has fully embraced her own.
Every time Gilbert puts on a DePaul uniform, she plays with purpose. Her 1 ½-year old son, Elijah, who has quickly stolen the hearts of his mom's teammates, has been able to spend time around them at practices.
"Trying not to cry; like, during warmups, I look over and see him, and it's a surreal feeling that I can't even explain. He's my motivation," she said. "I think he comes with me four days out of the week, and then the weekends and one of the days he's with my mom, but it depends on what time practice is and what time he wants to wake up."
Having Elijah at practice has made a difference for the team this season.
"Oh my gosh, he's literally like the glue of this team right now. I kid you not, we're always around him, we're in the locker room with him. He's really like the energy that this team needed," says DePaul guard Anaya Peoples.
Not only does the team love having Elijah around, but Gilbert said he's a pretty big fan of theirs as well.
"Every day I go home and he's like, 'Can we call coach? Can we call Jorie? He'll name different people on the team he wants to call and be around every day," Gilbert said.
At the top of that list is head coach Doug Bruno.
"Every time he sees coach, he runs to coach and gives him a hug, and if coach will pick him up and tries to put him down, he doesn't like that, he wants coach to pick him back up," Peoples said. "You can bet on it that every time Elijah sees, coach he's running to coach. They're like best friends I think."
"He's a team member. He's a member of the team. He's just a joy to be around. He's never an issue," Bruno said.
Gilbert is averaging just over 7 points a game for the Blue Demons in her 6th and final college season. The work she's putting in on and off the court has not gone unnoticed.
"To be able to manage being a collegiate athlete, being a mother, all on her plate that she has, we really respect what Katlyn is putting into the program," Bruno said.
"I'm like, I don't know how you're doing this. I don't know how you're waking up at 5 a.m., taking care of a son, getting to practice, staying locked in, leading a team. She deserves all the respect, she deserves all the flowers, because she is an incredible woman for sure," Peoples said.
"It's definitely hard. I'm not going to sugar coat anything. It's probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's rewarding," Gilbert said. "In a couple years I'll be able to look back and be like I'm blessed to say I was able to be a mom and be an athlete as well, and just to have him around this atmosphere growing up, I'm sure he's going to be telling all his friends."
One thing for sure, Elijah will always have many friends at DePaul.
Gilbert's mom now lives in Chicago and helps with Elijah, along with people around the team.
Elijah has basketball in his blood. His father is also a college basketball player at Quinnipiac. So you could say following in his parents' footprints is a safe bet.
