(Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. Antonopulos joined the Broncos as assistant athletic trainer in 1976 . Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis had this to say about Antonopulos during a phone interview with the Denver Post. I love the energy required to survive in this game. As one of six female athletic trainers in the @NFL, Allison Miner is living her dream. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. They see players near impossible athletic feats, creating the illusion of invincibility. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. What a run. Since the former Fort Hays head athletic trainer launched his NFL career, a lot has changed in the sport and in the world of athletic training, but Antonopulos' career had such remarkable longevity because he constantly worked to keep up with updating practices and help shape the evolving field. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. Broncos to rename training room for Steve Antonopulos, honor him at a Broncos game. A typical day for me starts at 4 a.m. The Drive was so special. Applauding him as "an institution with the Broncos for the last 45 years," Denver bid farewell Monday to director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos, who retired at 72 years old. Players are not treated as replaceable pieces of football productivity. 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. The Broncos will name their training room after Antonopulos. 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. The Broncos will honor Antonopulos at a home game this season and the team will rename their training room after the longtime trainer. 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. Greek goes to bed early because he gets here about 4 in the morning or 4:30 in the morning. The elation and what historically happened there for the Broncos was unbelievable., The old Kingdome in Seattle was a great place because of the crowd noise and it was a good place to travel. John Elways pro football career had bookends of torn up body parts. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. Ill always be a Bronco.. 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. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Florida's Anthony Richardson, one of the draft's most intriguing QB prospects, told reporters on Friday that in high school he modeled his game after two notable passers: Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John (Elway), This is it. An interesting couple days and we had a great time.. Their bones, cartilage, and ligaments bear theburden of these familial expectations. If youre doing something you love, you dont watch the clock or think about it, he said. "the Greek" and considered by many of his peers as tops in his profession, has worked for coaches Red Miller, Dan Reeves, Wade Phillips and Mike Shanahan as the Bronco. Running back could be a sneaky priority need for the Denver Broncos. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. The Denver Broncos head trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos has retired from the NFL after 45 years with the team. He was to make $61.8 million after two years with the Colts,. 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. Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. As a proud native Coloradoan, Greek loved the Broncos and gave everything he had to the job, arriving most days before 4:30 a.m. and keeping that same passion throughout his entire career. He is the teams 12th man. Steve Antonopulos announced his retirement on Monday. It was phenomenal. "Steve Antonopulos is what the Denver Broncos are all about," John Elway aptly summed up on the Broncos' website. Instead of cutting the tackle, Denver traded him and gaineda future fifth-round draft pick. My wife deserves this and we need to move on, Antonopulos said in a phone interview Sunday with The Denver Post. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. 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. "We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. It wasnt really an injury. The best thing is stay in your domain, stay at your desk and work your rear end off.. Professional football players endure incessant chronic pain in the playing days and beyond. As he would watch games with his father and neighbors, he would say to himself, Someday, somehow, someway, Im going to work for the Denver Broncos.. Steve Antonopulos, known as "Greek," has retired from his position as athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos after 45 years with the team. 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. Your login session has expired. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. I use the time to work out and do administrative tasks. 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. Five hours later, he was driving me 80 miles an hour down I-25 so I could get to the basketball game that night. He took a year off from football, resuming play without an ACL for the remainder of his career. 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.. His motto was defend your desk. And the only way to defend your desk, Antonopulos would say, is to be at your desk. For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. 2023 NFL Scouting Combine results: Defensive linemen and linebackers. 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. Denver will also honor Steve Antonopulos at one of their home games during the 2021 season. 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. And then Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City has always been one of my favorites. "Greek" is in his 41st year with the #Broncos! In Antonopulos' second season, the Broncos reached their first Super Bowl, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Greek watched over the knee helping to make it stronger than most, according to Matt Christopher in his book In the Huddlewith John Elway. It's spanned 900. 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It was dreary. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. I have always respected the fact that Steve is the kind of person that will look you in the eye and tell you what he is thinking and commit to his word. Fangio also added that "I have hard time believing that Greek is really retired. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. 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. 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. The livelihood of their families depend on the high body performance. I love being around young people who keep me young. Connor McGovern had a hamstring problem. Practice is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. From 1:30 to 3 p.m. we work on post practice treatments. 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. No other NFL trainer has treated a teams general manager, head coach, offensive coordinator and current roster of players. During his 45-year career with the Broncos, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. In July 2016, Antonopulos began the road to retirement when he took on a new role and Vince Garcia was promoted to head athletic trainer. 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.. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon. We certainly wouldnt have gone to Cheers had we known it would take that long. Were on the tarmac going to play San Diego. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After a career that spanned 45 years with the Denver Broncos, director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos has retired. As a proud native Coloradoan, Greek loved the Broncos and gave everything he had to the job, arriving most days before 4:30 a.m. and keeping that same passion throughout his entire career. Included in the Broncos' draft room is trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who is working his 41st NFL Draft. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. Be the first one to comment on this story. 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. Championships are made on practice fields; championships are also made in training rooms and rehab gyms. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. Genuine compassiondoes not stokepipe dreams but conveys the everyday dignity owed to any man, especially for the players attempting to secure a livelihood for their families to leap from ongoing poverty to sustained prosperity. Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. There are no set work hours for an athletic trainer in the NFL. Rainy. I dont have an exact set deadline on when Im coming back. They required him to go there for a physical. Antonopulos graduated from Northern Colorado with bachelors and masters degrees and was working as the head trainer and a physical education teacher at Fort Hays (Kan.) State in 1976 when a Johnson & Johnson representative told him about an opening to be Hursts only assistant. Few peoplenoticed that Smyth also tweeted this on the first day of the NFL draft: https://broncoswire.usatoday.com/2016/08/17/steve-greek-antonopulos-is-the-broncos-12th-man/, Greek is nothing short of a consummate professional, reconstructive techniques were not available for Elway, 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. 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. I love my job. 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 had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. He was special the way he handled it., The continued advancement of therapeutic exercises and the concussion protocols and the NFL hiring medical liaisons has been crucial in advancement of doing things the right way. Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, the Broncos' director of sports medicine, is entering his 44th season with the team. I went and got a summer job on the state highway back home that summer and I was getting married. The one other was (running back) Rob Lytle back in the day. He arrived most days at 4:30 a.m. and was often the last to leave team headquarters at night. I thought I would be (at Fort Hays) my whole career, Antonopulos said. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. Steve Antonopulos announced his retirement on Monday. The longest-tenured employee in Denver Broncos history is hanging them up. Broncos director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos has been selected by the family of owner Pat Bowlen to present him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony Aug. 3 in Canton, Ohio. In this job, Ive always tried to give all I can as a father and grandfather, but its hard because your time is so confined, he said. My wife deserves this and we need to move on,' Antonopulos told Ryan OHalloran of the Denver Post. 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. 1 draft pick, Report: Derek Carr wants $35 million per year, The Raiders are the betting favorites to land Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy: Kellen Moore wants to light the scoreboard up, I want to run the damn ball, Arrest warrant issued for Jalen Carter for reckless driving, racing, ESPN reiterates report that Lamar Jackson wants a fully-guaranteed deal, Aaron Rodgers says hell make a decision soon enough, Competition Committee begins to explore the quarterback push play, Players say Chiefs discourage them from reporting injuries, have NFLs worst training staff, Bryce Young is just over 5-10 and 204 pounds. The fans are incredible and it was the first of the modern stadiums in the old days. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. For a 2 p.m. start, he comes tothe stadium at 7:30 a.m. 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. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. 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? 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 just think Pat trusted Greek more than any other employee he ever had working for him, Ellis said. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Over the past 45 years, Steve "Greek" Antonopulos has been a welcoming presence in the Broncos' training rooms at the team's practice facilities, home and road stadiums and training camp locales none more so . After Greeks retirement was announced, team president/CEO Joe Ellis released the following statement: 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. It paid $25 a week plus room and board, he said with a laugh. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. Their athletic body movements express their identity. Watch the Broncos tribute video to Greek, especially Gary Kubiaks words on how much Greek personally means to him: Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos celebrates 40 years of service with the Denver Broncos https://t.co/whCCXn6cFk. We always worked with Craig Hospital and the concussion experts and developed our protocols, which are similar to some that are used today. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? 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. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. Toward the end Elways ripped bicep. The very best of medical practitioners effortlesslyblend sincere empathy and proficient treatment with their patients. Among his career accolades are the Fain-Cain Memorial Award (2011), an honor bestowed to trainer who exemplifies long-term commitment to the NFL, the NFL/PFATS Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award (1987), the National Athletic Trainers Association Athletic Trainer Service Award (1996) and the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award (2006). Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's cap hit might be rising in 2023, but owner Jerry Jones believes his quarterback has the ability to bridge the gap in any talent the roster might lose because of it. 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! For me I want to be back early August, September, ready to go 100 percent, full go. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. @Grindin_59 never saw this happening: https://t.co/62EHR6aweP pic.twitter.com/2ns3HQOWc3. 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. The team announced the long-time athletic trainer's retirement on Monday. Please logout and login again. In the days of the Orange Crush defense, Greek earned a customized can: . Greek received both Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Northern Colorado, and began his athletic trainer career at Fort Hays State University in Kansas in 1973, working there until 1976. The Broncos announced on Monday, June 7, 2021, that Antonopulos will retire after more than three decades as the team's trainer. The Broncos had never been to the playoffs and had just two winning seasons before Antonopulos arrived. Register now! Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. 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. The award is given annually to a NFL trainer who best exemplifies a long-term commitment to the NFL, as well as exemplary performance. Antonopulos, 72, was a constant factor in the Broncos long run of success over the last 4+ decades treating and working with every single player Denver employed over those years. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). "A great, great guy, as well as a great ambassador.". Greeks success there was evident as TD would go on to dominate the second half and lead Denver to its first Super Bowl championship. The Broncos accurate confidence about Gotsis recovery greatly depended on the assessment and follow-through bythe mancalled Greek at the clubs UCHealth Training Center. 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. The Denver Broncos head trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired from the NFL after 45 years with the team. 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. What a run. Athletic trainers with little to no experience make just above $30,000 each year, which, in regards to the amount of work and responsibility that athletic trainers have, may not seem like a lot of money. He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. Will they play well again? The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. On August 3, the Broncos organization came together to celebrate 40 years of service by Greek. The weather was awful. Elways competitive drive helped him work through the mental challenges of rehabilitation. 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. So I called him. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! 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. That poor guy. We allowed the soft tissues to heal and put him on a strengthening program and he played in about 10 days. If they are working in an NFL medical facility it can be even more. 2 / 24. FILE - Denver Broncos trainer Steve Antonopulos, center, talks with staff members during drills at the team's NFL football training camp in Englewood, Colo., in this July 19, 2019, file photo. 'Defend My Desk' How did Antonopulos survive so many regime changes? He closed the door and he went nuts again. I loved the job, loved the place and there would be only one position I would leave there for the Denver Broncos.. Jaguars won't spend big, but here are five players they could target in free agency, The most memorable pre-NFL draft workouts ever: Coaches, scouts, execs make their picks, 2023 NFL franchise tag tracker: Raiders tag Josh Jacobs, the NFL's rushing leader. Greeks retirement is effective immediately. Here's a list of accomplishments that Steve Antonopulos earned with the Denver Broncos. A Hugo, Colorado, native, Antonopulos began his career with the Broncos as an assistant trainer in 1976. However, Anthopoulos served as an advance scout for the Greek National Baseball Team for the . Although not given the recognition they so often deserve, NFL athletic trainers are some of the most important support staff members in any organization. At the moment, Im just completely thrilled to be a Denver Bronco and I cant wait to get up there. San Diego: Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos glances at the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the locker during the post-game celebration. 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. Kentucky's Will Levis, a likely top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, spoke Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine and -- in under 15 minutes -- presented himself as arguably the most self-assured QB in this year's class. Anthopoulos successful career has earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy cars. Of course, Greek does not do this single-handedly. And he played the whole game. The Broncos will name their training room after Antonopulos. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. An MRI told us the stub from the bicep was not in the joint. ", Broncos coach Vic Fangio said following Monday's OTA practice: "45 years of service to one organization is unheard of in the NFL, and that speaks volumes to his competency and the value he brought to this organization over such a long period of time.". We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. (photos via Broncos photo archive, unless noted) 1 / 24. It was embarrassing, the whole concept. The players arrive for treatment at 6:30 a.m., and the player meetings start around 8:15 a.m. We have long-term rehabs while players are in meetings. Gotsis had yet to be treated by the man crucial to his draft selection and his successful knee rehabilitation, head athletic trainerSteve Antonopulos. Antonopulos has been an athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos for a total of 941 games. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Athletic training is also one of the first NFL staff positions to be held by women. For me, Ill always remember Antonopulos for the clips he dominated from Super Bowl 32 when Terrell Davis went down with a migraine in the second quarter. When the Broncos open training camp next month, Antonopulos wont be on the sidelines for the first time since 1975. 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.. View Steve Antonopulos's record in Limon, CO including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Here are those results. Bowlen was football first, business second'. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? One moment they move with extraordinary grace, quickness, and power. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. There is no verbal banter of windy platitudes to stoke quixotic fantasies of either management or players.