Register now! His influence on this franchise, the athletic training profession and throughout sports is far-reaching, mentoring countless interns and staff who went on to accomplish great things. He held the post until 2016, after which he transitioned into his role as director of sports medicine for four years. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. 13655 Broncos Parkway Englewood, CO 80112. Greeks relationship with him was very personal he helped Pat on a lot of different matters, but he was very helpful giving Pat help throughout the season on where his team was at and it was an honest assessment at all times, which was important to Pat.. I told him that, and he said. The Drive was so special. "We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. Past and current players including Peyton Manning and Von Miller . Forty-five years is a long time. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Steve Greek Antonopulos, the only person to work for the Broncos during each of their eight Super Bowl appearances, announced Monday he is retiring after 45 seasons of service. Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. Antonopulos and his wife, Susan, have a blended family of five kids and seven grandkids and will split their time between homes in Limon., and Tucson, Ariz., and driving their RV to visit family. He was very straight forward, he was very honest and he was a really good communicator in that he has a good bedside manner in a position where that is obviously required.. Antonopulos grew up in Hugo, Colo., 105 miles southeast of Mile High Stadium. He earned the head trainer position in 1979. The Broncos will honor Antonopulos at a home game this season and the team will rename their training room after the longtime trainer. In addition to praising fifth-year veteran Jarek Crick, Kubiak also said that the team expectsa lot of Adam Gotsis, who is less than ten months away from tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. We certainly wouldnt have gone to Cheers had we known it would take that long. Found this classic can in hubs stuff. He got $26.4 million without playing a down for the Colts last year 32 percent more than his first-year salary with the Broncos. Then in 1996 he received National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Athletic Trainer Service Award, and in 2006 Greek was given the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. He was a fixture on our sidelines for the greatest moments in team history, the first person running on the field to care for an injured player and the one who supported them through every step of their recovery. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. There is no verbal banter of windy platitudes to stoke quixotic fantasies of either management or players. According to the organization, Antonopulos' 45-year tenure is believed to be the longest ever spent with a single NFL team. His motto was defend your desk. And the only way to defend your desk, Antonopulos would say, is to be at your desk. Steve Antonopulos is the only Denver Broncos employee that has been with the team through all eight Super Bowl appearances, which included three title victories. Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis told Ryan OHalloran of The Denver Post, Broncos free agent profile: Dalton Risner, Broncos give behind-the-scenes look at the NFL combine. | . He served as President of PFATS from 2003 to 2008. I woke him up. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. Athletic trainers often work more than 12 hours a day and are required to travel with the team for away games and/or training camp. 2 / 24. My wife deserves this and we need to move on, Antonopulos said in a phone interview Sunday with The Denver Post. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. Greek goes to bed early because he gets here about 4 in the morning or 4:30 in the morning. The doctor that gave him the physical was Arthur Pappas, one of the Red Sox owners, and he took us over to Fenway Park and I still have the picture of John and myself at home plate. Sleeting. Please check your email for a confirmation. Antonopulos spent 45 years with the Denver Broncos and was the athletic trainer to over 1,500 NFL players. He was obviously an astute trainer, but also an arrive-early, leave-late, stay-in-his-lane employee. Instead of cutting the tackle, Denver traded him and gaineda future fifth-round draft pick. Antonopulos, 72, started working for the Broncos on St. Patricks Day 1976 as an assistant trainer, was promoted to director of rehabilitation in 80, to head athletic trainer in 81 and was director of sports medicine since 2016. In honor of his impact & dedication these last 45 years, were naming the training room after Steve Greek Antonopulos. The Denver Broncos have leaned toward acquiring injured players during the offseason.Three of the top five draft picks had injuries that prevent them for full athletic participation in the rookie mini camp on May 6-8. The two went on to lead theteam in tackles lastseason. Broncos president Joe Ellis saidthis to Daniel Petty of the Denver Post about the announcement of owner Pat Bowlens retirement due to Alzheimers in 2014: The night before, I thought of people who were so close to him in the organization and needed to know before the announcement came out the next day. "Steve has been an institution with the Broncos for the last 45 years and became one of the most respected athletic training professionals in all of sports," said team President and CEO Joe Ellis. In all he was on the sideline for 941 games (preseason, regular season and postseason) and worked for 13 different head coaches. We just really hit it off and it was an opportunity that I had always dreamed about.. Antonopulos, whose office was routinely owner Pat Bowlen's first stop each morning when Bowlen arrived to work, is the longest-tenured employee in the franchise's history and is the only employee to have been with the Broncos for each of the team's eight Super Bowl trips. A native of North Dakota and graduate of Kansas State, OHalloran previously covered the Washington Redskins for eight years, primarily at The Washington Times, and the Jacksonville Jaguars for six years at The Florida Times-Union. Antonopulos joined the Broncos as an assistant trainer in 1976, became head athletic trainer in 1981 and was promoted to the role of director of sports medicine in 2016. I have never had a day that I dreaded coming to work. There were 983 players who played at least one regular-season game for the Broncos in his tenure. Antonopulos is the only Broncos employee who has been to all eight Super Bowls. For 45 years, athletic trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has been the epitome of what the Denver Broncos are all about.Greek, there arent words to describe the impact youve had on our organization, and we wish you nothing but the very best in retirement!#ThankYouGreek pic.twitter.com/HAKN6t7S7P. Broncos trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Get to know all 17 Denver mayor candidates , Broncos trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos retires after 45 seasons with franchise, As Broncos wrap up stay at NFL Combine, busy offseason of change churns toward free agency, draft, Broncos check in No. Michigan cornerback DJ Turner II is the early leader for fastest player at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine after posting a time of 4.26 seconds in the 40-yard dash on Friday. > Above video: Steve Antonopulos introduces Pat Bowlen at NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony. By Tim Lynch @TimLynch1978 Jun 7, 2021, 8:50am MDT Share this story. View Steve Antonopulos's record in Limon, CO including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. but it can also be stressful. The first groups have completed their weigh-ins, measurements, and drills. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown. The livelihood of their families depend on the high body performance. There is another player meeting from 3 to 4 p.m. Post practice treatments follow until we are done at approximately 6 p.m. On game day, Greek arrives very early as well. Those things are unbelievable and the number of great people and great minds of technology was phenomenal with what you can do for the medical care of football players., Without question, it was our second year here (1984) and he had to go in the offseason to Boston for a Lloyds of London insurance policy. Is hard reset only way to salvage Jets QB dilemma? Trainer Antonopulos, a Broncos' 'fixture,' retires, The future of the NFL combine: Is there really a chance it could end forever? His career with the team began in 1976 and spanned all eight of the teams Super Bowl appearances, 10 general managers, and three and a half team owners. Antonopulos called the honor breathtaking.. The Moving can be an exciting experience. The one other was (running back) Rob Lytle back in the day. "Greek" is in his 41st year with the #Broncos! Jun 07, 2021 at 08:45 AM. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After a career that spanned 45 years with the Denver Broncos, director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos has retired. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. So I called him. The best thing is stay in your domain, stay at your desk and work your rear end off.. In 2017, Antonopulos was promoted to the teams director of sports medicine, where he oversaw all aspects of the clubs training and rehabilitation process. Were on the tarmac going to play San Diego. Rainy. Celebrating 40 years of service On August 3, the Broncos organization came together to . Elway mentioned Greeks help in his Hall of Fame induction speech in 2004. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. He embodies the principles of the Fain-Cain Award, and he continues to impact all of those who have been around him. Coach Gary Kubiaks unflappable reaction to the season-ending knee injury of starting defensive end Vance Walker on Tuesday was based on his confidence of the Denver Broncos reserve depth at the position. Greek has four assistants and many intern athletic trainers. > Top stories curated daily just for you! In all those years, I never tried to figure out how many hours I worked.. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. Denver Broncos trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who has served 45 years in the Broncos organization and was a part of the franchise's three Super Bowl victories, is retiring. In the days of the Orange Crush defense, Greek earned a customized can: . Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Broncos trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Broncos trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos retires after 45 seasons with franchise, As Broncos wrap up stay at NFL Combine, busy offseason of change churns toward free agency, draft, Broncos check in No. Over that time, Antonopulos worked all eight Super Bowls that the Broncos have appeared in. A motto for Antonopulos was Defend My Desk., When a new owner or coach was hired, he said: They come in and have 100 things going on and what they dont need is somebody trying to make an appointment and promote themselves. Antonopulos, who called Bowlen the ultimate owner, was selected by the Bowlen family in 2019 to present Pat at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. All three are full training camp participants. Director of Operations Bill Horpel is hidden behind the trophy against the Green Bay Packers at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA on January 25, 1998. ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA. Denver will rename the training room at UCHealth Training Center the Steve "Greek" Antonopulos Training Room and will recognize the trainer at a home game this season. If you do not acknowledge the unique importance of Greek, then you chronically underestimate the Broncos. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. A native of Hugo and graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Antonopulos first joined the Broncos in 1976 as assistant trainer to Allen Hurst. The very best of medical practitioners effortlesslyblend sincere empathy and proficient treatment with their patients. ThenBroncos head team physician, Ted Schlegel M.D., said when presenting the award: Greek is nothing short of a consummate professional. Once I get up to Denver and visit with the team doctors, they can check out my knee and do all of that, and then we can go from there. pic.twitter.com/uwM5i7YAAm. Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. During his 45-year career with the Broncos, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. He was obviously an astute trainer, but also an arrive-early, leave-late, stay-in-his-lane employee. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John (Elway), This is it. Athletic training is also one of the first NFL staff positions to be held by women. Steve Antonopulos assists injured QB John Elway at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Sunday Jan.12, 1992. In my mind -- like I told him the other day -- I don't think he's retired. If youre doing something you love, you dont watch the clock or think about it, he said. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. NFL/PFATS Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award, The National Athletic Trainers Association Athletic Trainer Service Award, NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. Antonopulos forged strong relationships with coaches and players alike and had a particularly close bond with late owner Pat Bowlen, who bought the Broncos in 1984. He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. Antonopulos joined the Broncos as assistant athletic trainer in 1976 and retired in 2021 as the teams director of sports medicine. A look at Steve "Greek" Antonopulos' 41 years as the Broncos' head athletic trainer. What a run. Could they look to sign a veteran? Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTERto getcant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered righttoyour inbox. NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis. Awesome was Antonopulos longevity in the often-unstable world of the NFL. His salary is around $10 million and his main source of income is from his career as a business executive. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. His first chance came in the summer of 1969 when trainer Allen Hurst offered him an internship. If they are working in an NFL medical facility it can be even more. Horse Tracks: Should the Broncos spend big money on a free agent running back. Athletic trainers have one of the more important jobs on a professional sports team, especially in the NFL. Connor McGovern had a hamstring problem. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. The Broncos announced on Monday, June 7, 2021, that Antonopulos will retire after more than three decades as the team's trainer. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. However, Anthopoulos served as an advance scout for the Greek National Baseball Team for the . Enjoying Sportskeeda's coverage? Interior linebackers Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan had uncertain futures going into the 2015 season. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos with Jim Gillen talk being head athletic trainers https://t.co/nTFo5XtbrK, R. David Mullin (@RD_Mullin) August 17, 2016. The weather was awful. Hes been here north of 37 years, and every day, Mr. Bowlen started his day, by parking in the garage, coming up through the steps and stopping by Greeks office and chatting with him. Broncos to rename training room for Steve Antonopulos, honor him at a Broncos game. Broncos trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos retires after 45 seasons with franchise - The Denver Post Sports NFL Denver Broncos News News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by. I thought I would be (at Fort Hays) my whole career, Antonopulos said. (Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! Like Antonopulos, Garcia got his bachelors degree from Northern Colorado. They see players near impossible athletic feats, creating the illusion of invincibility. No one cared more about the players than Greek. Learn how your comment data is processed. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. A Hugo, Colorado, native, Antonopulos began his career with the Broncos as an assistant trainer in 1976. Ryan OHalloran covered the Broncos for The Post from 2018-22 and has covered the NFL since 2004. (photos via Broncos photo archive, unless noted) 1 / 24. Not only did the club pick up Gotsis in the draft, but the Broncos chose running back Devontae Booker, who recently had two surgical procedures on a torn meniscus. Aftersigning his $24.5 million contract with the Chicago Bears during the offseason,the NFL tweeted this about Trevathan: Knee injury.Knee injury.Knee injury.Big contract? We always worked with Craig Hospital and the concussion experts and developed our protocols, which are similar to some that are used today. Tonight, we celebrated head athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos. https://broncoswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/08/denver-broncos-news-steve-greek-antonopulos-retires-as-trainer/, 17 Broncos players set to become unrestricted free agents, 5 players Broncos might consider trading this offseason, 8 players Broncos should let walk during NFL free agency, 5 Broncos players who could become cap casualties this offseason, Broncos want to re-sign free agent LB Alex Singleton, Every time the Broncos have used a franchise tag in the past, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. @Grindin_59 never saw this happening: https://t.co/62EHR6aweP pic.twitter.com/2ns3HQOWc3. Gotsis had yet to be treated by the man crucial to his draft selection and his successful knee rehabilitation, head athletic trainerSteve Antonopulos. I never worked a day in my life because I loved what I was doing so much and the organization was so classy. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, whose size has been a matter of conjecture in the run-up to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, officially measured in at 5-foot-10 1/8 and 204 pounds on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/VZ4LHDGcb7, Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) April 30, 2016. Denver Broncos trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired after 45 years with the franchise, the team announced Monday. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. The Broncos accurate confidence about Gotsis recovery greatly depended on the assessment and follow-through bythe mancalled Greek at the clubs UCHealth Training Center. "Steve has been an institution with the Broncos for the last 45 years and became one of the most respected athletic training professionals in all of sports," Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement. Although there are many female coaches in the NFL, athletic training and strength and conditioning were among the first positions to be filled by women. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. Be the first one to comment on this story. But athletic trainers, as well as strength and conditioning coaches, also seem to be the first staff members to be blamed when an NFL team suffers numerous injuries. He researched the previous seasons hamstring injury sustained by running back Otis Armstrong and put together a treatment/rehabilitation plan to present to Hurst. He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. Their grandparents often move better in that instant. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. But according to those who know him well, Greeks domain also contains a rare element in the Not For Long professional football league: an endless supply of unsentimental, deep compassion. Or does the salary serve as a salve to those wounds? I never worked a day in my life because I loved what I was doing so much and the organization was so classy. His influence on this franchise, the athletic training profession and throughout sports is far-reaching, mentoring countless interns and staff who went on to accomplish great things. How did Antonopulos survive so many regime changes? Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. He arrived most days at 4:30 a.m. and was often the last to leave team headquarters at night. Steve Greek Antonopulos, head trainer for the Denver Broncos, has announced his retirement from the NFL after 45 years with the team. Probably the most loyal employee the team has had and will ever have, Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a phone interview. He had a fear of flying. And then Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City has always been one of my favorites. For instance, his work with offensive tackle Ryan Clady transformed what would have been dead salary cap money into transferable salary through Cladys trade to the New York Jets. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. A typical day for me starts at 4 a.m. "Steve Antonopulos is what the Denver Broncos are all about," John Elway aptly summed up on the Broncos' website. Their bones, cartilage, and ligaments bear theburden of these familial expectations. Broncos' Athletic Trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John [Elway], This is it. Steve Antonopulos Head Athletic Trainer at Denver Broncos Parker, Colorado, United States 7 connections Join to connect Denver Broncos University of Northern Colorado Report this profile. Athletic trainers are witnesses to the magic and myth of extraordinary athletic feats. April 12, 2017 at 10:38 a.m. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. My wife deserves this and we need to move on,' Antonopulos told Ryan OHalloran of the Denver Post. During his tenure, Antonopulos picked up the following accolades: NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award, The National Athletic Trainers Association Athletic Trainer Service Award and the NFL Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award. Antonopulos applied for the job and Hurst reached out to have breakfast in Denver when Fort Hays was coming through town between basketball games at Northern Colorado and Southern Colorado (now CSU-Pueblo). Your login session has expired. 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Longtime head athletic trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 years with the club, the team announced Monday. With unmatched dedication and loyalty to the Broncos, Greek became a trusted confidant for so many coaches, staff members and especially Pat Bowlen. (Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. Antonopulos service was rewarded in 2019 when the Bowlen family named him as presenter to longtime Broncos owner Pat Bowlen for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. @Broncos celebrating head trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos tonight. John Elways pro football career had bookends of torn up body parts. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retires after 45-year Broncos career Counting players on training camp roster, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. It is their livelihood, and it hurts to see them be injured and not be able to perform. Ill always be a Bronco.. I just think Pat trusted Greek more than any other employee he ever had working for him, Ellis said. Here are his assistants at Super Bowl 50 in February: Congrats to @broncos and the athletic training staff. Greeks retirement is effective immediately. We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. It was dreary. Of . You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. When the Broncos open training camp next month, Antonopulos wont be on the sidelines for the first time since 1975. Anthopoulos successful career has earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy cars. Steve Antonopulos will go down as one of the best athletic trainers in the history of the NFL. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. After treating nearly 1,000 different players during the past 45 years, Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired as Broncos trainer. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Please check your email for a confirmation. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John (Elway), This is it. He closed the door and he went nuts again. It wasnt really an injury. San Diego: Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos glances at the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the locker during the post-game celebration. Antonopulos, who called Bowlen the ultimate owner, was selected by the Bowlen family in 2019 to present Pat at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. During the past four years, Antonopulos oversaw the Broncos training and medical treatment from on high, leaving Vince Garcia in charge of the day-to-day responsibilities.
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