Just as the college football world was celebrating the feel-good story of USC CB Josh Shaw saving his nephew from drowning, the school announced on Tuesday that it had received calls contradicting Shaw's description of the event.
USC announced on Monday that Shaw suffered high ankle sprains on both legs after jumping from a second-story balcony to save his drowning nephew, who was alone in a pool and without help nearby during a family party in Palmdale, Calif., on Saturday night.
People praised Shaw, a senior captain for the Trojans, on Twitter. He made the nightly newscasts and was front and center in the local papers.
However, after USC's Tuesday morning practice, head coach Steve Sarkisian said the school had received some calls contradicting Shaw's story.
"(Shaw's) a good person, he's a good kid," Sarkisian told reporters on Tuesday. "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.
"Within the last few hours or so we have gotten a few phone calls contradicting what Josh said occurred Saturday night. We're going to continue to vet it. We're looking at it."
A woman who identified herself to USA Today as Shaw's older sister and the mother of the 7-year-old boy told USA Today that she was not at the family party on Saturday night, but she did offer details regarding the incident.
The woman, who identified herself as Asia Shaw to USA Today, said the 7-year-old cannot swim and was in the care of her brother, Justin, on Saturday night, per the report.
"The one who was supposed to be watching him turned away for a second," she said, according to USA Today. "And Josh, who is on the balcony, saw the incident and reacted."
Asia Shaw told USA Today that the police were not called because the 7-year-old did not have any respiratory problems.
A deputy from the Palmdale Sheriff Station told USA Today that there was no record of a call out involving Shaw.
The Los Angeles Police Department released a statement on the matter Tuesday, but clarified very little.
"We've got no record of us having a run in with him," the police department announced in the statement. "That's not to say something didn't happen. We have no record of anything happening."
Shaw was not made available to the media on Tuesday.
Shaw is the Trojans' top cornerback and was selected as a team captain on Saturday. He started all 14 games last season for the team and is expected to be out the next several weeks while recovering from his injuries.
However, if it turns out that his story isn't true, he might need to address far more damaging issues.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
