“I know that I’m selected in the fourth round primarily because of that incident, and me lying,” Shaw said.
The incident occurred in August when Shaw injured both ankles while jumping from a second-story balcony to avoid police, then lied to USC coaches and told them he got hurt trying to save a drowning nephew.
USC suspended Shaw, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior captain, for the first 10 games of the season.
“He’s a young kid,” Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph said. “He made a mistake. It was a one-time deal. He’s a very smart guy. He graduated in 3 ½ years, so school was important. He’s a good person. I spent time with Josh, and I’m comfortable with Josh as a person.”
As is Shaw, who said he discussed the incident every time he met with a team during the pre-draft process, which included appearances at the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.
“It was the first time in my life where I really hit ground bottom,” he said. “Every team I talked to, they know everything that happened from start to finish. I wanted to make sure I was being truthful and I didn’t leave any unanswered questions. I know they all did their research back in California, making sure they vetted everything. I’m sure they felt comfortable with it at the end of the day.”
After the 10-game suspension, Shaw played the final three games for the Trojans. But before he hit the field, he hit the bricks to track down each of his teammates.
“I was suspended from all team activities, so one thing I did was right after my suspension, I went house to house apologizing to my teammates, no matter if they were walk-ons or big-time contributors to the team,” Shaw said. “I made it a point to go to each and every guy and look them eye to eye and apologize for putting our team in that position.”
In 28 games with the Trojans, Shaw had 108 tackles, including 7.5 for loss, 13 deflections and six interceptions in 23 starts.
He’s mostly lined up corner but has the ability to play safety.
”He’s going to be a corner with the ability to play nickel, that’s a huge thing for us,” Joeseph said. “Obviously in a pinch he could play safety. You can see it on tape. It won’t be a projection. He’s doing those things on college tape. He’s playing all three positions, and he’s a very, very, very smart guy, so that’s exciting for me.
“I’m excited he was there in the fourth round,” Joseph added. “That’s a steal for us in my opinion.”
Regardless of the round, Shaw said he’s excited about and thankful for his next challenge.
“It’s an absolute blessing to be a part of the NFL,” he said. “It’s been a childhood dream of mine, and for Coach Lewis to make that call and wanting me a part of the Cincinnati Bengals organization, I am truly humbled and honored.”
About the Author