Over that time, Antonopulos worked all eight Super Bowls that the Broncos have appeared in. And he played the whole game. By Tim Lynch @TimLynch1978 Jun 7, 2021, 8:50am MDT Share this story. 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. 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. Elway mentioned Greeks help in his Hall of Fame induction speech in 2004. 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. The Broncos had never been to the playoffs and had just two winning seasons before Antonopulos arrived. 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. Steve Antonopulos reaches out to injured linebacker Nick Greisen in Englewood, Colo., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. cant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right, Players given Kratom by Colorado coach, police say, Skier Shiffrin's quest for 86th win extended after downhill, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days, 'Greek' Antonopulos: Presenting Bowlen for HOF has been emotional time, 'Greek' on man he will present to HOF: 'Mr. His first chance came in the summer of 1969 when trainer Allen Hurst offered him an internship. Included in the Broncos' draft room is trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who is working his 41st NFL Draft. 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. A good trainers room is filled with the mundane, bathed in the light of here-and-now reality. 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 am an early person, and I learned years ago I need some time by myself before anyone gets here. 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. 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. He worked 941 total games, during which Denver went 438-311-1 in the regular season/playoffs. 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 weather was awful. From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. 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. 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. Awesome was Antonopulos longevity in the often-unstable world of the NFL. Greek is ever present when scary injuries occur, such as the incident with defensive end Derek Wolfe in the preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on August 17, 2013. He has the respect of the players that he has cared for over the years, and that is the reason many of them will call to ask his advice even after they have left the organization. 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 worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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). View Steve Antonopulos's business profile as Head AT at Denver Broncos. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson put on a show Saturday at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, making history during his highly anticipated workout. 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. At the moment it is week-by-week. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retires after 45-year Broncos career Counting players on training camp roster, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. "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. Here are his assistants at Super Bowl 50 in February: Congrats to @broncos and the athletic training staff. 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. Adhesive bandages, electrodes, ice bags, and kinesiology tape. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. After treating nearly 1,000 different players during the past 45 years, Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired as Broncos trainer. I use the time to work out and do administrative tasks. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. 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. Steve Antonopulos, a.k.a. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. John Elways pro football career had bookends of torn up body parts. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. 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. | . 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.. The Broncos accurate confidence about Gotsis recovery greatly depended on the assessment and follow-through bythe mancalled Greek at the clubs UCHealth Training Center. The Raiders plan to place the franchise tag on running back Josh Jacobs if the sides cannot come to a deal on a long-term extension by Tuesday's deadline, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Friday. Their grandparents often move better in that instant. If you dont have passion, you are in the wrong field. We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. The very best of medical practitioners effortlesslyblend sincere empathy and proficient treatment with their patients. The one other was (running back) Rob Lytle back in the day. There are no set work hours for an athletic trainer in the NFL. Although there are many female coaches in the NFL, athletic training and strength and conditioning were among the first positions to be filled by women. Antonopulos grew up in Hugo, Colo., 105 miles southeast of Mile High Stadium. 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 called the honor breathtaking.. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Discussing his knee rehabilitation, Gotsis at the time said. The Denver Broncos hired Steve Antonopulos as their assistant trainer in 1976. And these team doctors, for licensed medical doctors they are, can earn in the range of $200,000 and $512,500 per year. The Broncos paid an ode to Antonopulos' hard work by naming their training room after him. Rather respecting them in their most important roles as sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands. Steve Antonopulos assists injured QB John Elway at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Sunday Jan.12, 1992. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Gambling problem? During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. 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. 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.. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. Celebrating 40 years of service On August 3, the Broncos organization came together to . The fans are incredible and it was the first of the modern stadiums in the old days. Greeks retirement is effective immediately. At the moment, Im just completely thrilled to be a Denver Bronco and I cant wait to get up there. No one cared more about the players than Greek. He leaves big shoes to fill at the organization. ThenBroncos head team physician, Ted Schlegel M.D., said when presenting the award: Greek is nothing short of a consummate professional. A motto for Antonopulos was Defend My Desk., When a new owner or coach was hired, he said: They come in and have 100 things going on and what they dont need is somebody trying to make an appointment and promote themselves. The players arrive for treatment at 6:30 a.m., and the player meetings start around 8:15 a.m. We have long-term rehabs while players are in meetings. Antonopulos treated 983 players who appeared in at least one regular season/playoff game for the Broncos. Antonopulos joined the Broncos as assistant athletic trainer in 1976 . pic.twitter.com/QngbUDNhEI. With the Broncos, Greek transitioned to specialize in rehabilitation and was promoted to head trainer in 1980. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. The Denver Broncos head trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired from the NFL after 45 years with the team. ", Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) April 30, 2016. 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. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. Past and current players including Peyton Manning and Von Miller . April 12, 2017 at 10:38 a.m. Steve Antonopulos will go down as one of the best athletic trainers in the history of the NFL. 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. His salary is around $10 million and his main source of income is from his career as a business executive. 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. 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. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. Or does the salary serve as a salve to those wounds? 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. 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. His career is still going as the team's director of sports medicine. I thought I would be (at Fort Hays) my whole career, Antonopulos said. We sincerely thank his wife Susan and the entire Antonopulos family for sharing Greek with us for so many years.". The team announced the long-time athletic trainer's retirement on Monday. 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. His physical was first thing in the morning. #NGWSD. 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. Running back could be a sneaky priority need for the Denver Broncos. According to the organization, Antonopulos' 45-year tenure is. 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. A Hugo, Colorado, native, Antonopulos began his career with the Broncos as an assistant trainer in 1976. Greek has four assistants and many intern athletic trainers. The best thing is stay in your domain, stay at your desk and work your rear end off.. For me I want to be back early August, September, ready to go 100 percent, full go. He is the only individual to be part of all eight Broncos Super Bowl runs. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. Steve Antonopulos announced his retirement on Monday. The award is given annually to a NFL trainer who best exemplifies a long-term commitment to the NFL, as well as exemplary performance. Of course, Greek does not do this single-handedly. "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. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA. 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. We just really hit it off and it was an opportunity that I had always dreamed about.. Michigan cornerback DJ Turner II is the early leader for fastest player at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine after posting a time of 4.26 seconds in the 40-yard dash on Friday. Antonopulos was the longest-tenured employee at the franchise. Five hours later, he was driving me 80 miles an hour down I-25 so I could get to the basketball game that night. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! 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. pic.twitter.com/MB6he9cRUp, Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 4, 2016. Sleeting. 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. 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. 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. Vince Garcia, Denvers head athletic trainer, will presumably be a strong candidate to replace Greek. The Broncos announced on Monday, June 7, 2021, that Antonopulos will retire after more than three decades as the team's trainer. Found this classic can in hubs stuff. The Drive was so special. Your login session has expired. The Broncos announced on Monday, June 7, 2021, that Antonopulos will retire after more than three decades as the team's trainer. Denver will also honor Steve Antonopulos at one of their home games during the 2021 season. We just really hit it off and it was an opportunity that I had always dreamed about.. Antonopulos, 72, has worked with the Broncos for nearly 50 years, making his the longest career with one team in NFL history. There is another player meeting from 3 to 4 p.m. Post practice treatments follow until we are done at approximately 6 p.m. On game day, Greek arrives very early as well. We certainly wouldnt have gone to Cheers had we known it would take that long. 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. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! I love the relationships I have developed over the years. 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. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. Florida's Anthony Richardson, one of the draft's most intriguing QB prospects, told reporters on Friday that in high school he modeled his game after two notable passers: Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson. Russell Wilson's salary cap and dead money totals for the next six seasons. Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTERto getcant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered righttoyour inbox. Hes been here north of 37 years, and every day, Mr. Bowlen started his day, by parking in the garage, coming up through the steps and stopping by Greeks office and chatting with him. Jun 07, 2021 at 08:45 AM. They see their players physical and emotional fragility. 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. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. Even before taking his first snap with the Broncos, he tore his left knees ACL in high school. (photos via Broncos photo archive, unless noted) 1 / 24. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. I always thought that might zing me one day.. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. 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 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.