View Steve Antonopulos's business profile as Head AT at Denver Broncos. Since it happened in 1978,reconstructive techniques were not available for Elway. The Broncos announced on Monday, June 7, 2021, that Antonopulos will retire after more than three decades as the team's trainer. We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. On August 3, the Broncos organization came together to celebrate 40 years of service by Greek. 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. Steve Antonopulos, known as "Greek," has retired from his position as athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos after 45 years with the team. Players are not treated as replaceable pieces of football productivity. Please logout and login again. Now hes walking away for good as hes going to retire where he grew up on the eastern plains. > Top stories curated daily just for you! The Drive was so special. The Broncos will have a new person as the head of their training staff for the first time in a long time. 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. Antonopulos graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett spoke with media members on Friday for the first time since his arrest for public intoxication in late January. He had a fear of flying. 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.. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, who arrived to the Broncos as a rookie . We thought it would be (quick). That poor guy. He held the post until 2016, after which he transitioned into his role as director of sports medicine for four years. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. Do NFL teams have team nurses? How much do the medical - AS USA A look at Steve "Greek" Antonopulos' 41 years as the Broncos' head athletic trainer. 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. The Moving can be an exciting experience. Fangio also added that "I have hard time believing that Greek is really retired. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John (Elway), This is it. They see players near impossible athletic feats, creating the illusion of invincibility. He is believed to be the longest-tenured trainer with one team in NFL history, and Greek is the only person to be a part of all eight Broncos Super Bowl appearances. It wasnt really an injury. I have never had a day that I dreaded coming to work. He served as President of PFATS from 2003 to 2008. John Elway reflects on Steve Antonopulos' 45 years with the Broncos 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! The weather was awful. 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. We sincerely thank his wife Susan and the entire Antonopulos family for sharing Greek with us for so many years.. I always thought that might zing me one day.. 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. 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. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. "No one cared more about the players than Greek. His first chance came in the summer of 1969 when trainer Allen Hurst offered him an internship. 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. There are team physicians, such as head team physician Martin Boublik of Steadman Hawkins Clinic-Denver. Greek was the recipient of the2011 Fain-Cain Memorial Award at the NFL Physicians Society Scientific Annual Meeting. Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. It was phenomenal. Vince Garcia. 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 . Broncos athletic trainer Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retiring after 45 NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis. 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. "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. Broncos head trainer Steve Antonopulos, who is in his 40th season with the team, was presented with a painting created by noted artist Gabe Richesson. Tonight, we celebrated head athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos. 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. 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. Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and trainer Steve Antonopulos had a lifelong Here's a look. He earned the head trainer position in 1979. Were on the tarmac going to play San Diego. Veteran free agentRussell Okung, the starting left tackle, was signed during the offseason while recovering from shoulder surgery. He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. Antonopulos called the honor breathtaking.. Steve Antonopulos has been the head trainer for the Broncos ever since. 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.. A good trainers room is filled with the mundane, bathed in the light of here-and-now reality. 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. The Denver Broncos hired Steve Antonopulos as their assistant trainer in 1976. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retires after 45-year Broncos career Counting players on training camp roster, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. Why is Steve Antonopulos retiring? - Sportskeeda It paid $25 a week plus room and board, he said with a laugh. 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. 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It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. Its just a cool place., Oh boy, a couple of those. I loved the job, loved the place and there would be only one position I would leave there for the Denver Broncos.. 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). "No one cared more about the players than Greek," Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement. Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. 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. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. Their bones, cartilage, and ligaments bear theburden of these familial expectations. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. They required him to go there for a physical. By 1987 he received the NFL/Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) award for Training Staff of the Year. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. His physical was first thing in the morning. It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. Steve Greek Antonopulos, head trainer for the Denver Broncos, has announced his retirement from the NFL after 45 years with the team. Broncos' sports medicine director retiring after 45 seasons - AP NEWS The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. 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. Denver Broncos athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos, who recently retired this offseason, was the longest tenured athletic trainer in the NFL. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. Running back could be a sneaky priority need for the Denver Broncos. Denver Broncos longtime trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos retired Monday after 45 years with the team. Please logout and login again. Here are his assistants at Super Bowl 50 in February: Congrats to @broncos and the athletic training staff. He was obviously an astute trainer, but also an arrive-early, leave-late, stay-in-his-lane employee. Pat Bowlen's family has chosen Steve "Greek" Antonopulos to serve as the owner's presenter at the Hall of Fame . 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. A typical day for me starts at 4 a.m. I always thought that might zing me one day.. Broncos' Athletic Trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. He treated 983 players who've appeared in at least one playoff and regular-season game for the Denver Broncos. Steve Antonopulos announced his retirement on Monday. 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. The Broncos announced on Monday, June 7, 2021, that Antonopulos will retire after more than three decades as the team's trainer. In honor of his impact & dedication these last 45 years, were naming the training room after Steve Greek Antonopulos. I love my job. 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. My philosophy was if you do your job and do a good job, theyll get to you. I love the challenges that are presented each day. The Go-To Guy - Los Angeles Times Greek goes to bed early because he gets here about 4 in the morning or 4:30 in the morning. In all those years, I never tried to figure out how many hours I worked.. 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. Will they play well again? 2 / 24. Russell Wilson's salary cap and dead money totals for the next six seasons. > Above video: Steve Antonopulos introduces Pat Bowlen at NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony. 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. It wasnt really an injury. The Broncos will honor Antonopulos at a home game this season and the team will rename their training room after the longtime trainer. If you do not acknowledge the unique importance of Greek, then you chronically underestimate the Broncos. 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 congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. (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. Or does the salary serve as a salve to those wounds? Broncos trainer Steve Antonopulos retires after 45 seasons but it can also be stressful. Denver Broncos trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos has retired after 45 years with the franchise, the team announced Monday. Longtime Broncos athletic trainer, Director of Sports Medicine Steve Probably the most loyal employee the team has had and will ever have, Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a phone interview. Paul Klee: Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos to present Broncos owner Pat Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. As one of six female athletic trainers in the @NFL, Allison Miner is living her dream. How did Antonopulos survive so many regime changes? Interior linebackers Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan had uncertain futures going into the 2015 season. Through the Years: The illustrious career of Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos Five hours later, he was driving me 80 miles an hour down I-25 so I could get to the basketball game that night. Here are those results. 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. We always worked with Craig Hospital and the concussion experts and developed our protocols, which are similar to some that are used today. My philosophy was if you do your job and do a good job, theyll get to you. 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. The longest-tenured employee in Denver Broncos history is hanging them up. I love being around young people who keep me young. 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. 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. Denver will also honor Steve Antonopulos at one of their home games during the 2021 season. 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. We certainly wouldnt have gone to Cheers had we known it would take that long. 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. June 9, 2021 6:00 am MT. 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. Counting players on training camp roster, Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John (Elway), This is it. Greeks retirement is effective immediately. ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA. 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. He was Bowlen's presenter when Bowlen was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2019. He is believed to be the longest-tenured trainer with one team in NFL history, and Greek is the. 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. I thought I would be (at Fort Hays) my whole career, Antonopulos said. "Greek" is in his 41st year with the #Broncos! 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. Professional football players endure incessant chronic pain in the playing days and beyond. Athletic training is also one of the first NFL staff positions to be held by women. And he played the whole game. And these team doctors, for licensed medical doctors they are, can earn in the range of $200,000 and $512,500 per year. Forty-five years is a long time. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. 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. Greek has four assistants and many intern athletic trainers. 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. During his 45-year career with the Broncos, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. He was named Colorado Sportswriter of the Year in 2019. Scissors, tape remover, whirlpools, ultrasound gel, and treatment tables. Yet behind closed doors they respond to the ordinary, commonplace maladies of bruises, lacerations, soft tissue tears, and broken bones. In Antonopulos' second season, the Broncos reached their first Super Bowl, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. You must be logged in to leave a comment. Their athletic body movements express their identity. There are a hundred athletic trainers currently employed in the NFL and the average salary for those trainers is about $75,000, a figure that can rise to $100,000 depending on experience. He worked 941 total games, during which Denver went 438-311-1 in the regular season/playoffs. We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. I love caring for people. Denver Broncos: Vic Fangio's funny take on Steve Antonopulos retiring The Denver Post caught up with Steve Antonopulos, and during the interview, Antonopulos explained his reasoning behind his retirement. Found this classic can in hubs stuff. 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. 1. 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). Register now! Gotsis had yet to be treated by the man crucial to his draft selection and his successful knee rehabilitation, head athletic trainerSteve Antonopulos. 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. Greek was there to give head coach Mike Shanahan continual updates as he worked to treat TDs migraine. 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. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. It's spanned 900. Jun 07, 2021 at 08:45 AM. Steve Antonopulos, a.k.a. ", 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.". According to the organization, Antonopulos' 45-year tenure is. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire.