Schools 
Herald/TJ MAXWELL Copperas Cove defensive back Jalen Gilbert gets a hug from mom Darlene as dad Gene looks on during a signing ceremony Wednesday at Copperas Cove High School as part of National Signing Day. Gilbert signed a letter of intent to play football for Southwestern Oklahoma State.Copperas Cove defensive back Jalen Gilbert only had one year to play on the same field as his brother, Gene Gilbert (sophomore cornerback at Southwestern Oklahoma State), so when the opportunity arose for him to play another three years with his sibling, he jumped at the offer.
“He (Gene) was a major factor in my decision because I never really got to play with him here. So if I got a chance to play with him again, I was gonna take it” Gilbert said.
Gilbert tallied 80 total tackles and a touchdown on a blocked punt as a senior, but none of those statistics made him feel as good as he did when he signed his letter of intent to play with the Bulldogs.
“I feel so blessed to be able to experience this, it’s so surreal.” Gilbert said. “I watched my brother go through this last year and I hoped that I could too.”
Ever the sibling rivalry, Jalen set his freshman year goals to grab his brothers torch and take it further.
“I will approach my freshman year by studying what my brother did and doing it better,” he said with a huge smile.”
