In what could be a last-ditch effort to keep his hands on the Heisman Trophy, Reggie Bush is trying to keep his deposition testimony from landing in the hands of the NCAA.

Charles Robinson and Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reports that Bush’s lawyers filed a motion to keep Bush’s testimony private.  Consequently, Bush wasn’t questioned under oath on Monday.

Part of the strategy in this regard also might be to delay Bush’s deposition until after Lloyd Lake is questioned.  He’s currently scheduled to testify at some point between March 10 and 17.

“It’s so that we can’t share the transcripts with the NCAA, which is a huge admission of guilt,” Lake’s attorney, Brian Watkins, told Yahoo! Sports. “Reggie Bush has repeatedly said that he has nothing to hide, and now that he has to testify under oath, he’s saying he doesn’t want what he says shared with the NCAA.  Now all of the sudden it’s ‘Hey I’m going to have to admit to some things and I don’t want them out there.’ . . .  You only want things hidden and sealed from public or investigative view when you have something to hide.”

Bush and his family repeatedly have refused to talk to NCAA investigators who are exploring whether Bush received money and/or other benefits while still eligible to play college football at USC.  Because Bush no longer is a student at USC, the NCAA has no ability to sanction him for failing to cooperate. 

But why doesn’t the NCAA have a rule that triggers a presumption against the former athlete if the athlete fails to cooperate?  In this case, the NCAA has harvested information from Lloyd Lake supporting (we assume) a conclusion that Reggie got paid.  Why should the refusal of Bush to comment cast the investigation into limbo? 

All things considered, it’s an ominous development for Bush, who seems at this point to be destined to pack up the Heisman and send it to Vince Young.

Then again, Bush arguably already has received his punishment, courtesy of karma.  Because, as it turns out, the guy who was supposed to be the next Gale Sayers currently isn’t even the best USC running back to enter the 2006 draft.