Josh Shaw, seen here saving a football from the other team.
On the morning of Saturday, August 23, USC cornerback Josh Shaw was elected team captain for the Division 1 Trojans. That afternoon, he was at a family party when he suddenly noticed his 7-year old cousin (who does not know how to swim) flailing in a nearby pool. Without hesitating, Shaw jumped from a second-story balcony down onto the concrete below, resulting in high-ankle sprains in both legs. He then crawled into the pool and got his nephew to safety before pulling himself out by his arms.
Not only that, but apparently he'd have done it for any old drowning kid. Said Shaw, "I would do it again for whatever kid it was, it did not have to be my nephew. My ankles really hurt, but I am lucky to be surrounded by the best trainers and doctors in the world. I am taking my rehab one day at a time, and I hope to be back on the field as soon as possible." Dude, you were already elected captain, you don't have to get nominated for sainthood.
From what I've been told by angry commenters on the Internet, high-ankle sprains are awful, and can keep you sidelined longer than a fracture will. With a normal ankle sprain, your foot twists inwards, pulling on the ligaments on the outside of your leg. A high-ankle sprain occurs when your foot twists outwards, so that your right sole is facing your right palm. Even if you just move your foot around, you can see that it does not go as far out as it does in. This seems painful.
Injury times can vary widely, so there's still a chance that Shaw, who has had six interceptions in the two seasons since he transferred to USC and started all 14 games in 2013, will make a quick recovery. His father James told the Los Angeles Times, for one, that he "wouldn't be surprised" if his son "gives it a shot" when the Trojans play their season opener against Fresno State on Saturday.
(by Johnny McNulty)