"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. We were taxing to take off and he just went nuts and jumped out of his seat and was screaming and the pilot pulled up, opened the door and let him get a breath. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. Counting players on training camp roster, Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. 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). Repeated selections of injured players shows the teams confidence in Greeks abilityto assess and treat injured players. And he played the whole game. Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTERto getcant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered righttoyour inbox. The Denver Post caught up with Steve Antonopulos, and during the interview, Antonopulos explained his reasoning behind his retirement. That poor guy. 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. 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. That was a tremendous victory in Broncos history. His motto was defend your desk. And the only way to defend your desk, Antonopulos would say, is to be at your desk. It was embarrassing, the whole concept. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. Your login session has expired. Greek has four assistants and many intern athletic trainers. 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. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. He arrived most days at 4:30 a.m. and was often the last to leave team headquarters at night. The one other was (running back) Rob Lytle back in the day. Elway mentioned Greeks help in his Hall of Fame induction speech in 2004. Discussing his knee rehabilitation, Gotsis at the time said. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Antonopulos treated 983 players who appeared in at least one regular season/playoff game for the Broncos. I love being around young people who keep me young. 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. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. In honor of his impact & dedication these last 45 years, were naming the training room after Steve Greek Antonopulos. Here's a look. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. As the only person in the history of the Broncos to be part of all eight Super Bowls, Greek made a profound impact on this organization. They required him to go there for a physical. Gotsis had yet to be treated by the man crucial to his draft selection and his successful knee rehabilitation, head athletic trainerSteve Antonopulos. 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. I woke him up. Antonopulos spent 45 years with the Denver Broncos and was the athletic trainer to over 1,500 NFL players. The Broncos will have a new person as the head of their training staff for the first time in a long time. Longtime head athletic trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 years with the club, the team announced Monday. My wife deserves this and we need to move on, Antonopulos said in a phone interview Sunday with The Denver Post. So I called him. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon. Legendary Broncos Trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos Retires Register now! "A great, great guy, as well as a great ambassador.". 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. Please logout and login again. 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. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After a career that spanned 45 years with the Denver Broncos, director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos has retired. Toward the end Elways ripped bicep. "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. There were 983 players who played at least one regular-season game for the Broncos in his tenure. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. 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. We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. preseason), 438 total wins, 13 head coaches, 983 players with at least one game appearance. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Broncos trainer Steve Antonopulos retires after 45 seasons A good trainers room is filled with the mundane, bathed in the light of here-and-now reality. Athletic trainers are the first on the field when an NFL player is injured, and in the case of a serious injury, they have to use quick decision-making to treat the player immediately. Five hours later, he was driving me 80 miles an hour down I-25 so I could get to the basketball game that night. "No one cared more about the players than Greek. 'Defend My Desk' How did Antonopulos survive so many regime changes? I told him that, and he said. Veteran free agentRussell Okung, the starting left tackle, was signed during the offseason while recovering from shoulder surgery. It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. His 43 years with the Broncos is believed to be the longest tenure by an athletic trainer with one NFL team. NFL/PFATS Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award, The National Athletic Trainers Association Athletic Trainer Service Award, NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. 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. @Grindin_59 never saw this happening: https://t.co/62EHR6aweP pic.twitter.com/2ns3HQOWc3. Broncos honor longtime trainer Steve Antonopulos Antonopulos called the honor breathtaking.. During his 45-year career with the Broncos, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. Here's everything we know, QB Young 5-10 1/8, 204 pounds at NFL combine, Sources: Patriots tell QB Hoyer he's being cut, Horns' Robinson: Versatility worthy of early pick, Jones: Not fixated on Cowboys' drought, just '23, Sources: Raiders plan franchise tag for Jacobs, WR Addison to Steelers' Pickett: 'Come get me', Wolverines' Turner wows with 4.26 40 at combine, Top QB prospect Levis eager to unleash 'cannon', Everything you need to know about Geno Smith's contract negotiations. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis had this to say about Antonopulos during a phone interview with the Denver Post. How did Antonopulos survive so many regime changes? The Drive was so special. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett spoke with media members on Friday for the first time since his arrest for public intoxication in late January. I went and got a summer job on the state highway back home that summer and I was getting married. However, Anthopoulos served as an advance scout for the Greek National Baseball Team for the . pic.twitter.com/VZ4LHDGcb7, Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) April 30, 2016. Greek was the recipient of the2011 Fain-Cain Memorial Award at the NFL Physicians Society Scientific Annual Meeting. And he played the whole game. 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. As one of six female athletic trainers in the @NFL, Allison Miner is living her dream. How did Antonopulos survive so many regime changes? 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 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.. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. (Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. Were on the tarmac going to play San Diego. I just think Pat trusted Greek more than any other employee he ever had working for him, Ellis said. We allowed the soft tissues to heal and put him on a strengthening program and he played in about 10 days. An interesting couple days and we had a great time.. It was phenomenal. Ill always be a Bronco.. From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. The worst locker room in the NFL to a point where we had to tape our athletes in the bathroom if you could imagine that, the locker room was so small. 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. The two went on to lead theteam in tackles lastseason. "It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. There are team physicians, such as head team physician Martin Boublik of Steadman Hawkins Clinic-Denver. Download the 9NEWS APPiTunes:http://on9news.tv/itunesGoogle Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n. He depended on him for help recovering from injuries, advice on health concerns when evaluating players and, often, simply the friendship that they cultivated over . 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. I loved the job, loved the place and there would be only one position I would leave there for the Denver Broncos.. 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. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. No other NFL trainer has treated a teams general manager, head coach, offensive coordinator and current roster of players. Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, the Broncos' director of sports medicine, is entering his 44th season with the team. Former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, who arrived to the Broncos as a rookie quarterback in 1983 and spent well over two decades with the franchise himself, has joked that Antonopulos was with the Broncos before the orange and blue in the uniforms. Greek in his own words,as told to the Board of Certification for Athletic Trainers: The worst part of the job is seeing players devastated by being injured. @Broncos celebrating head trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos tonight. "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. The Dallas Cowboys will place the franchise tag on running back Tony Pollard if the two sides cannot reach a long-term deal before March 7's deadline, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, per sources. 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. 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. When the Broncos open training camp next month, Antonopulos wont be on the sidelines for the first time since 1975. I always thought that might zing me one day.. Is hard reset only way to salvage Jets QB dilemma? Antonopulos graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. Here are his assistants at Super Bowl 50 in February: Congrats to @broncos and the athletic training staff. It's an annual position that becomes even more demanding during training camp and the season. He was the team's head trainer for 37 seasons and spent the past four seasons as the director of sports medicine. pic.twitter.com/uwM5i7YAAm. Broncos trainer Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retires after 45 seasons with Antonopulos called the honor breathtaking.. If they are working in an NFL medical facility it can be even more. 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. Awesome was Antonopulos longevity in the often-unstable world of the NFL. We certainly wouldnt have gone to Cheers had we known it would take that long. 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. 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. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors seven times for his work. Broncos trainer Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retires after 45-year career A look at Steve "Greek" Antonopulos' 41 years as the Broncos' head athletic trainer. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. They required him to go there for a physical. Players are not treated as replaceable pieces of football productivity. Trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos: Through The Years - Denver Broncos 1. Athletic training is also one of the first NFL staff positions to be held by women. Scissors, tape remover, whirlpools, ultrasound gel, and treatment tables. We just really hit it off and it was an opportunity that I had always dreamed about.. The Broncos paid an ode to Antonopulos' hard work by naming their training room after him. He had a fear of flying. At the moment it is week-by-week. I am an early person, and I learned years ago I need some time by myself before anyone gets here. It wasnt really an injury. Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. Broncos Athletic Trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. It paid $25 a week plus room and board, he said with a laugh. No one cared more about the players than Greek. Past and current players including Peyton Manning and Von Miller . Steve Antonopulos has been the head trainer for the Broncos ever since. pic.twitter.com/QngbUDNhEI. Please check your email for a confirmation. The first groups have completed their weigh-ins, measurements, and drills. 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. pic.twitter.com/N8K1CSmUdg, Kami Carmann (@KamiCarmann) August 4, 2016. Included in the Broncos' draft room is trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who is working his 41st NFL Draft. The weather was awful. Not a member? His physical was first thing in the morning. More Videos Paul Klee: Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos to present Broncos owner Pat Since it happened in 1978,reconstructive techniques were not available for Elway. It wasnt really an injury. (Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. Why is Steve Antonopulos retiring? - Sportskeeda Antonopulos has been an athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos for a total of 941 games. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. Steve Antonopulos is retiring from the Denver Broncos after 45 years with the team. His first chance came in the summer of 1969 when trainer Allen Hurst offered him an internship. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. | . That way, we are either working with them or doing administrative work. The Denver Broncos hired Steve Antonopulos as their assistant trainer in 1976. We just really hit it off and it was an opportunity that I had always dreamed about.. Please logout and login again. San Diego: Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos glances at the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the locker during the post-game celebration. Head Athletic Trainer 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. I always thought that might zing me one day.. Broncos' Athletic Trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. Denver's tale of the tape under Antonopulos: 941 total games (incl. I never worked a day in my life because I loved what I was doing so much and the organization was so classy. What a run. Steve Antonopulos gave the Denver Broncos 45 incredible years as their athletic trainer, having trained the likes of Peyton Manning and Shannon Sharpe, among others. 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. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. The next, crippled. If you do not acknowledge the unique importance of Greek, then you chronically underestimate the Broncos. My philosophy was if you do your job and do a good job, theyll get to you. Connor McGovern had a hamstring problem. Less than a decade after winning the Super Bowl MVP he had left knee replacement surgery. Longtime Broncos athletic trainer, Director of Sports Medicine Steve * A guy we think can get better and better. We sincerely thank his wife Susan and the entire Antonopulos family for sharing Greek with us for so many years.". Broncos athletic trainer Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retiring after 45 From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. With the Broncos, Greek transitioned to specialize in rehabilitation and was promoted to head trainer in 1980. The weather was awful. Denver Broncos longtime trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos retired Monday after 45 years with the team. It was dreary. It paid $25 a week plus room and board, he said with a laugh. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. 41-yrs! 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. He was named Colorado Sportswriter of the Year in 2019. He is also fully practicing. A Hugo, Colorado, native, Antonopulos began his career with the Broncos as an assistant trainer in 1976. Vince Garcia. In the playoffs after the 1986 season, the Broncos traveled to Cleveland to win the AFC championship game in overtime, highlighted by The Drive to end regulation. but it can also be stressful. That was a tremendous victory in Broncos history. (Kicker) Jim Turner caught a (25-yard) touchdown pass on a fake field goal (from holder Norris Weese) and (linebacker) Tom Jackson went over and gave the bird to (coach) John Madden. ", Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) April 30, 2016. 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 is the only Broncos employee who has been to all eight Super Bowls. Denver Broncos news: Steve "Greek" Antonopulos retires after 45 years We thought it would be (quick). That poor guy. 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. Listen, I really appreciate you calling me. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. He leaves big shoes to fill at the organization. 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. 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. Alex Anthopoulos Net Worth 2022, Salary, Age, Height, Family - Apumone He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. What a run. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. 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). Quarterback Mike White said he'd like to return to the New York Jets, but knows it might not happen as he heads toward free agency. Tedious repetitions of arm pulls and leg lifts. 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. It was dreary. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown. Or does the salary serve as a salve to those wounds? 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). Greek goes to bed early because he gets here about 4 in the morning or 4:30 in the morning. On August 3, the Broncos organization came together to celebrate 40 years of service by Greek. Greek also saidthat Elway was one of the best players at injury recovery. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Trainer Antonopulos, a Broncos' 'fixture,' retires, The future of the NFL combine: Is there really a chance it could end forever? June 9, 2021 6:00 am MT. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. 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. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. > Above video: Steve Antonopulos introduces Pat Bowlen at NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony.