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. I just think Pat trusted Greek more than any other employee he ever had working for him, Ellis said. Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. Greek was there to give head coach Mike Shanahan continual updates as he worked to treat TDs migraine. 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 he played the whole game. It was dreary. Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, James to join Ravens, files grievance vs. Broncos, Ranking the 25 biggest position upgrades of the NFL offseason, NFL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus which players benefited most from the draft, Covered Broncos for nine years for Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News, Previously covered Steelers, Bills and Titans, Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame Board. 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. 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. Greek has four assistants and many intern athletic trainers. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. Denver Broncos trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired after 45 years with the franchise, the team announced Monday. Take a quick 30-second survey to help us deliver the best content around NFL & College Football. He is also fully practicing. (photos via Broncos photo archive, unless noted) 1 / 24. In all he was on the sideline for 941 games (preseason, regular season and postseason) and worked for 13 different head coaches. San Diego: Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos glances at the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the locker during the post-game celebration. He served as the head football trainer at his alma mater in 2009 before becoming one of Greeks assistant trainers from 2010-13. ", 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.". "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. 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. 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. Found this classic can in hubs stuff. 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. Broncos to rename training room for Steve Antonopulos, honor him at a Broncos game. Veteran free agentRussell Okung, the starting left tackle, was signed during the offseason while recovering from shoulder surgery. 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. His salary is around $10 million and his main source of income is from his career as a business executive. 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. 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. 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. Vince Garcia. 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. 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 . Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. That poor guy. 1. If they are working in an NFL medical facility it can be even more. During his tenure, Antonopulos picked up the following accolades: NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award, The National Athletic Trainers Association Athletic Trainer Service Award and the NFL Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award. 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. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Steve Antonopulos assists injured QB John Elway at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Sunday Jan.12, 1992. With the Broncos, Greek transitioned to specialize in rehabilitation and was promoted to head trainer in 1980. Antonopulos graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. | . 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. Denver Broncos athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos, who recently retired this offseason, was the longest tenured athletic trainer in the NFL. A good trainers room is filled with the mundane, bathed in the light of here-and-now reality. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. His 43 years with the Broncos is believed to be the longest tenure by an athletic trainer with one NFL team. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. He had a fear of flying. 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. pic.twitter.com/VZ4LHDGcb7, Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) April 30, 2016. 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. By Tim Lynch @TimLynch1978 Jun 7, 2021, 8:50am MDT Share this story. General manager John Elway toldDenver Posts Nicki Jhabvala: Elway on Gotsis: "A guy we think has a really high *ceiling. Probably the most loyal employee the team has had and will ever have, Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a phone interview. 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. During John Elway's 16-year playing career and his decade leading the Broncos' front office, he was able to rely on Director of Sports Medicine Steve "Greek" Antonopulos for a lot. There are no set work hours for an athletic trainer in the NFL. Since it happened in 1978,reconstructive techniques were not available for Elway. 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. Russell Wilson's salary cap and dead money totals for the next six seasons. 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. One moment they move with extraordinary grace, quickness, and power. And these team doctors, for licensed medical doctors they are, can earn in the range of $200,000 and $512,500 per year. Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Players are not treated as replaceable pieces of football productivity. 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. Were on the tarmac going to play San Diego. "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. April 12, 2017 at 10:38 a.m. The very best of medical practitioners effortlesslyblend sincere empathy and proficient treatment with their patients. Greek also saidthat Elway was one of the best players at injury recovery. 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. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. It is still early in the process. Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. Greeks success there was evident as TD would go on to dominate the second half and lead Denver to its first Super Bowl championship. Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 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. As one of six female athletic trainers in the @NFL, Allison Miner is living her dream. And then Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City has always been one of my favorites. The weather was awful. 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. 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. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. You have to understand he tore the long head of the bicep which is located in the shoulder joint. According to the organization, Antonopulos' 45-year tenure is believed to be the longest ever spent with a single NFL team. > Above video: Steve Antonopulos introduces Pat Bowlen at NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Yet behind closed doors they respond to the ordinary, commonplace maladies of bruises, lacerations, soft tissue tears, and broken bones. I went and got a summer job on the state highway back home that summer and I was getting married. I thought I would be (at Fort Hays) my whole career, Antonopulos said. The Denver Broncos head trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired from the NFL after 45 years with the team. It paid $25 a week plus room and board, he said with a laugh. @Grindin_59 never saw this happening: https://t.co/62EHR6aweP pic.twitter.com/2ns3HQOWc3. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. June 9, 2021 6:00 am MT. I dont have an exact set deadline on when Im coming back. Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. Sleeting. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. What a run. 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 best thing is stay in your domain, stay at your desk and work your rear end off.. The Broncos paid an ode to Antonopulos' hard work by naming their training room after him. Their bones, cartilage, and ligaments bear theburden of these familial expectations. During his time as a trainer, the Denver Broncos posted a 438-311-1 record. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John (Elway), This is it. Five hours later, he was driving me 80 miles an hour down I-25 so I could get to the basketball game that night. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. During his 45-year career with the Broncos, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. It was dreary. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. In Antonopulos second season, the Broncos reached their first Super Bowl, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. 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. Instead of cutting the tackle, Denver traded him and gaineda future fifth-round draft pick. 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. It is their livelihood, and it hurts to see them be injured and not be able to perform. 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.. He closed the door and he went nuts again. I thought I would be (at Fort Hays) my whole career, Antonopulos said. The Moving can be an exciting experience. "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 got $26.4 million without playing a down for the Colts last year 32 percent more than his first-year salary with the Broncos. Steve Antonopulos has been the head trainer for the Broncos ever since. Six of Pat Bowlen's children and presenter Steve Antonopulos at the longtime Broncos owner's inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019. He earned the head trainer position in 1979. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors seven times for his work. 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. He is believed to be the longest-tenured trainer with one team in NFL history, and Greek is the. John Elways pro football career had bookends of torn up body parts. They see their players physical and emotional fragility. Professional athletic trainers are required to be certified so that they can diagnose injuries and determine treatment plans for injuries. 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. Broncos Athletic Trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. 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. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. So I called him. We always worked with Craig Hospital and the concussion experts and developed our protocols, which are similar to some that are used today. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? Counting players on training camp roster, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. A typical day for me starts at 4 a.m. That way, we are either working with them or doing administrative work. "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. 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. 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. Is hard reset only way to salvage Jets QB dilemma? 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.. Odds & lines subject to change. 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. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. He closed the door and he went nuts again. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. "It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. For a 2 p.m. start, he comes tothe stadium at 7:30 a.m. Included in the Broncos' draft room is trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who is working his 41st NFL Draft. 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. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After a career that spanned 45 years with the Denver Broncos, director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos has retired. No other NFL trainer has treated a teams general manager, head coach, offensive coordinator and current roster of players. In the days of the Orange Crush defense, Greek earned a customized can: . Steve Antonopulos announced his retirement on Monday. Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. The Denver Broncos head trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos has retired from the NFL after 45 years with the team. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown. 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. 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). Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. If you do not acknowledge the unique importance of Greek, then you chronically underestimate the Broncos. The one other was (running back) Rob Lytle back in the day. 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. Longtime head athletic trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 years with the club, the team announced Monday. Steve Antonopulos, known as "Greek," has retired from his position as athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos after 45 years with the team. Awesome was Antonopulos longevity in the often-unstable world of the NFL. Could they look to sign a veteran? The Broncos will honor Antonopulos at a home game this season and the team will rename their training room after the longtime trainer. 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. There were 983 players who played at least one regular-season game for the Broncos in his tenure. Vince Garcia, Denvers head athletic trainer, will presumably be a strong candidate to replace Greek. 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. Antonopulos, 72, has worked with the Broncos for nearly 50 years, making his the longest career with one team in NFL history. He is the teams 12th man. Horse Tracks: Should the Broncos spend big money on a free agent running back. 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. Antonopulos has been an athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos for a total of 941 games. The Broncos will have a new person as the head of their training staff for the first time in a long time. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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. The 2023 NFL Combine is underway. 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.