USC cornerback Shaw opens up about nephew rescue lie

Southern Cal cornerback Josh Shaw claims to be telling the truth this time about the events leading up to his decision to leap from a third-floor apartment balcony.

The jump resulted in severe high ankle sprains and more peripheral damage ensued when Shaw, a starter, told USC that he was injured saving his drowning nephew in a pool.

When coach Steve Sarkisian and athletic director Pat Haden learned the story was a fabrication, Shaw was suspended indefinitely.

He attempted to clear the air for the first time in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Shaw said he was going home to see his girlfriend of more than seven years and they got into an argument. When his girlfriend left the apartment, he went outside on the balcony to see police cars. While he said the argument was not physical, Shaw’s first instinct was to run.

“We were not on good terms when she left, I thought she had somebody call authorities. I was thinking the worst,” he told the Times. “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 jumped, hurt his ankles, and as he shared his lie, the story spread to become national headlines.

Shaw said he felt he was “in too deep” to come clean.

Before the end of that week, the truth tracked him down and Shaw’s big lie was revealed, resulting in a suspension.

School and police investigations have concluded and Shaw, back with the team, still has not played this season. He is cleared medically.