Included in the Broncos' draft room is trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who is working his 41st NFL Draft. How did Antonopulos survive so many regime changes? Download the 9NEWS APPiTunes:http://on9news.tv/itunesGoogle Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. 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. 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. 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. With unmatched dedication and loyalty to the Broncos, Greek became a trusted confidant for so many coaches, staff members and especially Pat Bowlen. 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 weather was awful. They required him to go there for a physical. In Antonopulos second season, the Broncos reached their first Super Bowl, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. We allowed the soft tissues to heal and put him on a strengthening program and he played in about 10 days. Greek also saidthat Elway was one of the best players at injury recovery. 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. 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. 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. "It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. 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. 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. I have never had a day that I dreaded coming to work. 2 / 24. Broncos Athletic Trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. My philosophy was if you do your job and do a good job, theyll get to you. Will they play well again? Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. 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. 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, whose office was routinely owner Pat Bowlen's first stop each morning when Bowlen arrived to work, is the longest-tenured employee in the franchise's history and is the only employee to have been with the Broncos for each of the team's eight Super Bowl trips. @Broncos celebrating head trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos tonight. 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. 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 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). 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. ", Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) April 30, 2016. Enjoying Sportskeeda's coverage? He is the teams 12th man. "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," said team President and CEO Joe Ellis. I loved the job, loved the place and there would be only one position I would leave there for the Denver Broncos.. He closed the door and he went nuts again. I love my job. Is the job worth the derision? I was making good money on the highway and going to college. The Broncos had never been to the playoffs and had just two winning seasons before Antonopulos arrived. Take a quick 30-second survey to help us deliver the best content around NFL & College Football. > Above video: Steve Antonopulos introduces Pat Bowlen at NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Steve Antonopulos, known as "Greek," has retired from his position as athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos after 45 years with the team. 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. 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. Could they look to sign a veteran? 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 browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. The longest-tenured employee in Denver Broncos history is hanging them up. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. Greeks retirement is effective immediately. Antonopulos treated 983 players who appeared in at least one regular season/playoff game for the Broncos. Your login session has expired. 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. He is one of the richest baseball managers in Canada. Antonopulos is the only Broncos employee who has been to all eight Super Bowls. He had a fear of flying. June 9, 2021 6:00 am MT. 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. 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. > Top stories curated daily just for you! 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. From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. "We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Tonight, we celebrated head athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos. He was to make $61.8 million after two years with the Colts,. We certainly wouldnt have gone to Cheers had we known it would take that long. He was obviously an astute trainer, but also an arrive-early, leave-late, stay-in-his-lane employee. Ill always be a Bronco.. Probably the most loyal employee the team has had and will ever have, Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a phone interview. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. Of . 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Antonopulos spent 45 years with the Denver Broncos and was the athletic trainer to over 1,500 NFL players. What a run. Over that time, Antonopulos worked all eight Super Bowls that the Broncos have appeared in. 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. My wife deserves this and we need to move on,' Antonopulos told Ryan OHalloran of the Denver Post. Yet behind closed doors they respond to the ordinary, commonplace maladies of bruises, lacerations, soft tissue tears, and broken bones. 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. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. Awesome was Antonopulos longevity in the often-unstable world of the NFL. (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. In fact over his NFL career Elway ran for3,407 yards and 33 touchdowns. 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. For me I want to be back early August, September, ready to go 100 percent, full go. Steve Antonopulos will go down as one of the best athletic trainers in the history of the NFL. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos with Jim Gillen talk being head athletic trainers https://t.co/nTFo5XtbrK, R. David Mullin (@RD_Mullin) August 17, 2016. The Drive was so special. 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. pic.twitter.com/N8K1CSmUdg, Kami Carmann (@KamiCarmann) August 4, 2016. Antonopulos graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. 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. Jun 07, 2021 at 08:45 AM. Rainy. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon. During his time as a trainer, the Denver Broncos posted a 438-311-1 record. 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. I love the relationships I have developed over the years. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! During an interview with The Denver Post, retiring Broncos director of sports medicine Steve Greek Antonopulos was asked for his favorite memories since joining the team in 1976: In October 1977, the Broncos traveled to face the defending Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders, who had won 17 consecutive games dating back to the previous season. There are no set work hours for an athletic trainer in the NFL. 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. He served as President of PFATS from 2003 to 2008. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. Antonopulos called the honor breathtaking.. Its just a cool place., Oh boy, a couple of those. Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. 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.. Head Athletic Trainer "No one cared more about the players than Greek. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. We always worked with Craig Hospital and the concussion experts and developed our protocols, which are similar to some that are used today. Ryan OHalloran covered the Broncos for The Post from 2018-22 and has covered the NFL since 2004. He held the post until 2016, after which he transitioned into his role as director of sports medicine for four years. The Broncos accurate confidence about Gotsis recovery greatly depended on the assessment and follow-through bythe mancalled Greek at the clubs UCHealth Training Center. In all he was on the sideline for 941 games (preseason, regular season and postseason) and worked for 13 different head coaches. 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. The Drive was so special. Steve Antonopulos announced his retirement on Monday. Be the first one to comment on this story. Steve Antonopulos has been the head trainer for the Broncos ever since. He is the only individual to be part of all eight Broncos Super Bowl runs. 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. ", 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.". Allen called me the first week of July. 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.. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson put on a show Saturday at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, making history during his highly anticipated workout. The two went on to lead theteam in tackles lastseason. Here's a list of accomplishments that Steve Antonopulos earned with the Denver Broncos. 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. The weather was awful. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retires after 45-year Broncos career Counting players on training camp roster, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. Steve Antonopulos announced his retirement on Monday. 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.. 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 . 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. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. 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. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. I never worked a day in my life because I loved what I was doing so much and the organization was so classy. Is hard reset only way to salvage Jets QB dilemma? Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis. Antonopulos grew up in Hugo, Colo., 105 miles southeast of Mile High Stadium. 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. It was phenomenal. There are team physicians, such as head team physician Martin Boublik of Steadman Hawkins Clinic-Denver. Connor McGovern had a hamstring problem. Elways competitive drive helped him work through the mental challenges of rehabilitation. Here's a look. Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. 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. 20 in NFLPA ranking of clubs based on locker rooms, food service, travel and more, Sean Payton very excited to have Vance Joseph as Broncos DC after four years in Arizona, Broncos HC Sean Payton hiring Northwestern assistant Lou Ayeni as RB coach, sources say, Brought to you by Prairie Mountain Publishing, Weld judge sentences Greeley man to 60 years for October 2020 murder, Fusco Pizza is a love letter to all things Greeley, Friday's Class 1A-3A regional/state hoops tournament roundup: Platte Valley girls begin quest for third consecutive title, Windsor girls switch to rarely used 2-3 zone en route to win over Mead in quarterfinals of 5A playoffs, Weld and Larimer counties retail food inspection reports, Greeley, Weld County Death Notices for March 3, 2023, Trial delayed for suspect in Investments of Windsor scam, Johnstown fisherman reels in the catch of a lifetime while traveling to Texas for son's junior hockey tournament, Weld RE-1 School District honored for commitment to nursing mothers on staff, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. I loved the job, loved the place and there would be only one position I would leave there for the Denver Broncos.. They see players near impossible athletic feats, creating the illusion of invincibility. 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. Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 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. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown. I always thought that might zing me one day.. Please check your email for a confirmation. I dont have an exact set deadline on when Im coming back. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. 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. Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. The Broncos will name their training room after Antonopulos. You have to understand he tore the long head of the bicep which is located in the shoulder joint. Greek goes to bed early because he gets here about 4 in the morning or 4:30 in the morning. Longtime head athletic trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 years with the club, the team announced Monday. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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. 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 . In 2005, Greek said: The initial treatment wasicing, compression, and elevation (ICE). Fangio also added that "I have hard time believing that Greek is really retired. The Moving can be an exciting experience. No other NFL trainer has treated a teams general manager, head coach, offensive coordinator and current roster of players. 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. During his 45-year career with the Broncos, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. No one cared more about the players than Greek. 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. It was embarrassing, the whole concept. His physical was first thing in the morning.
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