USC cornerback Josh Shaw’s ankle injuries may be the least of his problems.
Shaw, who is out indefinitely after spraining both his ankles, may not have done so by heroically saving his 7-year-old nephew from drowning in a pool, as the senior had originally said. USC is currently investigating the incident after receiving calls contradicting the story, but there seems to be little to support the original version of events.
According to TMZ, Shaw was named in a police report — not as a suspect — after a man was seen “shimmying” down the side of a building in downtown LA near the USC campus on Saturday night and a woman inside the building identified the man as Shaw, referring to him as her boyfriend.
“Josh Shaw, first and foremost, is a good person and a good kid. He came to us with what had occurred Saturday night. I have no reason and no history to not believe Josh and his story of what has occurred,” first-year coach Steve Sarkisian said Tuesday. “Obviously within the last few hours or so we’ve gotten a few phone calls contradicting what Josh said occurred on Saturday night, so we’re going to continue to vet it. We’re looking at it, but beyond that I only know what I know.”
Shaw allegedly jumped from a second-story balcony onto concrete to save his nephew, who couldn’t swim, at a family function in Palmdale. With his ankles badly injured, Shaw said he then pulled himself out of the pool with his arms.
“I would do it again for whatever kid it was, it did not have to be my nephew,” Shaw told the team website. “My ankles really hurt, but I am lucky to be surrounded by the best trainers and doctors in the world. I am taking my rehab one day at a time, and I hope to be back on the field as soon as possible.”
Shaw’s reaction to this? Well, he’s currently unavailable to the media.
Oh, and the Trojans open their season Saturday against Fresno State.