USC cornerback admits lying about saving drowning nephew

Bill Bender

USC cornerback admits lying about saving drowning nephew image

USC cornerback Josh Shaw, who lied about saving his nephew from drowning in August, spoke publicly about the incident for the first time.

In an inteview with Los Angeles' Times columnist Bill Plaschke, Shaw said he suffered a pair of high ankle sprains after jumping off the balcony of his girlfriend's apartment after a loud argument.

Shaw had presumed his girlfriend called the police when he suffered the injury.

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"We were not on good terms when she left, I thought she had somebody call authorities. I was thinking the worst," Shaw said in the interview. "If she did say anything, I’m a black man with dreadlocks, and with everything going on in the country at the time, all that stuff in St. Louis (Ferguson, Mo.) - in my mind, I’m going to leap from the balcony so authorities did not see me."

Shaw then fabricated a story that he saved his nephew from drowning and lied to USC coach Steve Sarkisian about the incident. That's led to an indefinite suspension.

"Sark says, 'I’m going to take your word for it,'" Shaw said in the interview. "I regret it greatly, to lie to my head coach, who I greatly respect, that’s tough."

USC plays Cal tonight at 9 p.m.

Source: Los Angeles Times

 

Bill Bender

Bill Bender Photo

Bill Bender graduated from Ohio University in 2002 and started at The Sporting News as a fantasy football writer in 2007. He has covered the College Football Playoff, NBA Finals and World Series for SN. Bender enjoys story-telling, awesomely-bad 80s movies and coaching youth sports.