USC DB Josh Shaw Discusses Lying About Ankle Injuries

USC defensive back Josh Shaw made headlines this past summer after getting caught in a web of lies, but the disgraced Trojan is finally explaining the reasoning behind his actions.

The senior cornerback was hailed as a hero in August when it was revealed he saved his nephew from drowning after jumping off a second-floor balcony. Shaw suffered two high-ankle sprains, but the injuries were understandably forgiven due to the circumstances.     

Things quickly took a turn for the worse, though, when Shaw admitted he had fabricated the story. He was ultimately suspended indefinitely, and he now regrets ever being dishonest about the situation.

According to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times, Shaw understands that he is the culprit of his own demise.

"I thought I could find an easy way out of something, but that doesn't work—I have made a mistake, and I have paid for it," Shaw said. "And whether I do play or don't play again, I'll be forever grateful for USC for giving me a chance."

In addition to that, Shaw went into the true circumstances regarding the injuries he suffered. Per Plaschke, Shaw jumped from the balcony of his apartment when police arrived following an argument with his girlfriend:

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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. 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, Missouri) ... in my mind, I'm going to leap from the balcony so authorities did not see me.

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Shaw said he then devised a plan to ensure that his coaches wouldn't be upset or disappointed in him for getting injured:

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I wanted to come up with something that they would say, 'Josh, if you got hurt, that's a good reason to get hurt.' That's where fabrication came in. ... I didn't think it could be proved that story was not true. My sister (Asia) was having a party ... my cousin does have a balcony over his pool. It involved only myself, my sister, two or three little kids, and my cousin.

"

As it turns out, though, Shaw's story went viral, and it was only a matter of time before his lies caught up with him.

Even after seeing his false story all over the media and being confronted about it, Shaw continued to dig himself a deeper hole out of fear:

"I saw it on TV and it was like, boom, oh my gosh, wow. It's not true, what do I do? I didn't know what to do," he said. "So many thoughts went through my head. I wish my thought was, 'Tell them now, it's not true!' I thought I was in way too deep."

Shaw's reputation was undoubtedly ruined by the scandal, and it is entirely possible that he will never play another down at USC.

That is very much up in the air currently as head coach Steve Sarkisian isn't sure what the future holds for Shaw either, per Adam Maya of Rivals.com:

It took nearly three months, but Shaw has finally come forward with the truth. He acknowledges the fact that he should have done so much sooner, but perhaps it is better late than never.

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