So the story goes, USC cornerback Josh Shaw was at a family gathering, hanging out on a second-floor balcony, when he noticed his 7-year-old nephew struggling to stay afloat in the pool below. Shaw jumped from the balcony to the ground below, injuring his legs and scrambled to the pool to saving the drowning boy.
Instead of being hailed as a hero, the Trojans have received many calls contradicting Shaw’s account, forcing the school to use its resources to investigate.
“I think it’s important to know your team, I think it’s important to know your players,” coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Josh Shaw has been a good leader for us. He’s given me no reason not to believe what he has told us that occurred, but you need to know. I think it’s important to know the direction that we head in.”
All was fine until Shaw’s story went public. “We’ve gotten a few phone calls contradicting what Josh said occurred Saturday night, so we’re going to continue to vet it,” Sarkisian said. “We’re looking at it, but beyond that, I only know what I know and Josh is adamant with what occurred and we’ll continue to vet some of the other stories that have come across our desk and come across our phones and see if we can go from there.
“Josh Shaw is a good person, he’s a good kid,” the coach added. “He came to us with what had occurred Saturday night and I have no reason, no history to not believe Josh and his story and what has occurred.”
Shaw’s sister, Asia, mother of the 7-year-old boy Josh said he saved, said she was not at the family event and that the child was in the care of another brother named Justin.
She told USA Today: “The one who was supposed to be watching him turned away for a second. And Josh, who is on the balcony, saw the incident and reacted.”
Asia Shaw said her son could not swim and did not need respiratory care after the incident.
Shaw’s ankle injuries will keep him out indefinitely. No telling the punishment if it turns out he conjured up the story.
