I thought I would be (at Fort Hays) my whole career, Antonopulos said. 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. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. The one other was (running back) Rob Lytle back in the day. 1. 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. 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. I went and got a summer job on the state highway back home that summer and I was getting married. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. 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. That was a tremendous victory in Broncos history. Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Athletic training is also one of the first NFL staff positions to be held by women. In my mind -- like I told him the other day -- I don't think he's retired. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. Broncos Athletic Trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. 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. He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. Antonopulos became head trainer in 1979 making him what is believed to be the longest-tenured trainer in NFL history. ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. Gambling problem? He earned the head trainer position in 1979. Greek also saidthat Elway was one of the best players at injury recovery. Antonopulos was the longest-tenured employee at the franchise. Before the 2020 season, Steve told John Elway that the 2020-2021 season would be his final one as an athletic trainer. 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. During his time as a trainer, the Denver Broncos posted a 438-311-1 record. How did Antonopulos survive so many regime changes? I never worked a day in my life because I loved what I was doing so much and the organization was so classy. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. Although not given the recognition they so often deserve, NFL athletic trainers are some of the most important support staff members in any organization. Tonight, we celebrated head athletic trainer Steve 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. It was dreary. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. 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. "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. What is your favorite memory of the Broncos long-time head trainer? Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 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. pic.twitter.com/VZ4LHDGcb7, Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) April 30, 2016. 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 only person to be a part of all eight Broncos Super Bowl appearances. Register now! 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. In all he was on the sideline for 941 games (preseason, regular season and postseason) and worked for 13 different head coaches. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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. 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. 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. He held the post until 2016, after which he transitioned into his role as director of sports medicine for four years. View Steve Antonopulos's business profile as Head AT at Denver Broncos. pic.twitter.com/6YiWPEJddX, David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) February 8, 2016. 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. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. 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. Head Athletic Trainer Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 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. 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. Be the first one to comment on this story. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retires after 45-year Broncos career Counting players on training camp roster, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. 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. 2 / 24. 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. And he played the whole game. It's spanned 900. And he played the whole game. Were on the tarmac going to play San Diego. The Broncos announced on Monday, June 7, 2021, that Antonopulos will retire after more than three decades as the team's trainer. Greeks success there was evident as TD would go on to dominate the second half and lead Denver to its first Super Bowl championship. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After a career that spanned 45 years with the Denver Broncos, director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos has retired. 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. In honor of his impact & dedication these last 45 years, were naming the training room after Steve Greek Antonopulos. They see their players physical and emotional fragility. My philosophy was if you do your job and do a good job, theyll get to you. 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. Ill always be a Bronco.. Allen called me the first week of July. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. 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. 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. Sleeting. Greek has four assistants and many intern athletic trainers. In the days of the Orange Crush defense, Greek earned a customized can: . Their grandparents often move better in that instant. 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. The Broncos paid an ode to Antonopulos' hard work by naming their training room after him. Counting players on training camp roster, Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. Denver's tale of the tape under Antonopulos: 941 total games (incl. After becoming head athletic trainer for the South Metro Fire Rescue in Centennial from 2014-15, Garcia rejoined the Broncos training staff as Antonopulos top assistant in 2016. Repeated selections of injured players shows the teams confidence in Greeks abilityto assess and treat injured players. Professional football players endure incessant chronic pain in the playing days and beyond. April 12, 2017 at 10:38 a.m. Antonopulos has been an athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos for a total of 941 games. Steve Antonopulos assists injured QB John Elway at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Sunday Jan.12, 1992. Of course, Greek does not do this single-handedly. 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.. 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). He researched the previous seasons hamstring injury sustained by running back Otis Armstrong and put together a treatment/rehabilitation plan to present to Hurst. The Broncos will name their training room after Antonopulos. 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.. 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. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. 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. 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. Steve Antonopulos will go down as one of the best athletic trainers in the history of the NFL. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. 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! I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. 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. 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. You have the passion to do it. Greek watched over the knee helping to make it stronger than most, according to Matt Christopher in his book In the Huddlewith John Elway. 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. Antonopulos treated 983 players who appeared in at least one regular season/playoff game for the Broncos. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. 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. When the Broncos open training camp next month, Antonopulos wont be on the sidelines for the first time since 1975. Like Antonopulos, Garcia got his bachelors degree from Northern Colorado. 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. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. 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. At the moment, Im just completely thrilled to be a Denver Bronco and I cant wait to get up there. He worked 941 total games, during which Denver went 438-311-1 in the regular season/playoffs. The Drive was so special. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. Found this classic can in hubs stuff. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John (Elway), This is it. 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. We always worked with Craig Hospital and the concussion experts and developed our protocols, which are similar to some that are used today. I work for a great organization that cares about people. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson put on a show Saturday at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, making history during his highly anticipated workout. > Top stories curated daily just for you! I love the challenges that are presented each day. Probably the most loyal employee the team has had and will ever have, Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a phone interview. His first chance came in the summer of 1969 when trainer Allen Hurst offered him an internship. 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. He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. On April 28, moments after the selection of Gotsis, the Broncos draft headquarters was ecstatic, as tweeted by public relations vice president Patrick Smyth: Broncos GM John Elway, HC Gary Kubiak & DL coach Bill Kollar celebrate selection of DT Adam Gotsis in 2nd rd. Your login session has expired. 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. ", 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.". I love the energy required to survive in this game. Sleeting. He was the team's head trainer for 37 seasons and spent the past four seasons as the director of sports medicine. Since it happened in 1978,reconstructive techniques were not available for Elway. Their athletic body movements express their identity. 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. I woke him up. Steve Antonopulos, known as "Greek," has retired from his position as athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos after 45 years with the team. Steve Antonopulos announced his retirement on Monday. 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. Antonopulos treated 983 players who appeared in at least one regular season/playoff game for the Broncos. He served as the head football trainer at his alma mater in 2009 before becoming one of Greeks assistant trainers from 2010-13. He was to make $61.8 million after two years with the Colts,. preseason), 438 total wins, 13 head coaches, 983 players with at least one game appearance. There are team physicians, such as head team physician Martin Boublik of Steadman Hawkins Clinic-Denver. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. He worked 941 total games, during which Denver went 438-311-1 in the regular season/playoffs. The best thing is stay in your domain, stay at your desk and work your rear end off.. By 1987 he received the NFL/Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) award for Training Staff of the Year. 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. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. Vince Garcia. Ill see you in the morning. And that morning, we went in and he looked at me, and we just lost it. Marshall had several screws to hold together a foot while Travathan had major reconstruction surgery on his knee cap. "Greek" is in his 41st year with the #Broncos! The Broncos will name their training room after Antonopulos in a move CEO Joe Ellis called a no-brainer given his long run with the franchise. 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. Antonopulos is the only Broncos employee who has been to all eight Super Bowls. They required him to go there for a physical. His first chance came in the summer of 1969 when trainer Allen Hurst offered him an internship. 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. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. The Drive was so special. We certainly wouldnt have gone to Cheers had we known it would take that long. | . 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. We thought it would be (quick). He closed the door and he went nuts again.