Aggies' Danny Berger, Mike Williams ho..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The Utah State athlete who nearly lost his life and the man who helped saved it were honored by the Utah legislature on Monday.

Basketball player Danny Berger and assistant athletic trainer Mike Williams were the guests of honor in the state Senate and House, introduced by Senator Lyle Hillyard and Representative Jack Draxler respectively.

A school news release said Williams received the Heartsaver Hero Award from the American Heart Association during his visit.

Their appearance in Salt Lake City was in part a recognition of the story that captured the state's attention, but helped usher a bill through the House that would put forth $300,000 of funding for automated external defibrillators for state agencies, schools and colleges. Both Berger and Williams have spoken about the importance of AED access since Berger suffered a cardiac arrest at a practice in December.

Berger, a junior who hails from Oregon, is on track for a recovery, and has been shooting and running as he hopes to play next season.

— Kyle Goonkgoon@sltrib.comTwitter: @kylegoon

Aggies' Danny Berger, Mike Williams honored at Utah legislature