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. He was to make $61.8 million after two years with the Colts,. 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. Athletic trainers have one of the more important jobs on a professional sports team, especially in the NFL. 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. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. preseason), 438 total wins, 13 head coaches, 983 players with at least one game appearance. We sincerely thank his wife Susan and the entire Antonopulos family for sharing Greek with us for so many years.". 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. Broncos Athletic Trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. Even before taking his first snap with the Broncos, he tore his left knees ACL in high school. The Broncos will name their training room after Antonopulos. Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTERto getcant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered righttoyour inbox. 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. Broncos' Athletic Trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. In all he was on the sideline for 941 games (preseason, regular season and postseason) and worked for 13 different head coaches. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. I use the time to work out and do administrative tasks. 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. The next, crippled. All three are full training camp participants. The one other was (running back) Rob Lytle back in the day. 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. 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. In the days of the Orange Crush defense, Greek earned a customized can: . If youre doing something you love, you dont watch the clock or think about it, he said. 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. 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. If you do not acknowledge the unique importance of Greek, then you chronically underestimate the Broncos. 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. We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. Rainy. Head Athletic Trainer He took a year off from football, resuming play without an ACL for the remainder of his career. Antonopulos, 72, has worked with the Broncos for nearly 50 years, making his the longest career with one team in NFL history. I was making good money on the highway and going to college. No one cared more about the players than Greek. 2 / 24. 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. Connor McGovern had a hamstring problem. 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. Smith runs second-fastest 40 by DL since 03, Saleh compares Carr to Stafford pre-Rams trade, Allen to be ready to roll for offseason program, How to maximize leverage of No. Its just a cool place., Oh boy, a couple of those. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? 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. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Ill always be a Bronco.. Found this classic can in hubs stuff. 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. Professional football players endure incessant chronic pain in the playing days and beyond. I love the energy required to survive in this game. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Their grandparents often move better in that instant. He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. pic.twitter.com/uwM5i7YAAm. "No one cared more about the players than Greek," Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement. Marshall had several screws to hold together a foot while Travathan had major reconstruction surgery on his knee cap. When I see a player incurring a major injury withering in pain on the field, I am seeing most the emotional agony and fear of uncertainty. It is their livelihood, and it hurts to see them be injured and not be able to perform. "We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. 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. Denver's tale of the tape under Antonopulos: 941 total games (incl. I have never had a day that I dreaded coming to work. 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 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. 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, 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. My wife deserves this and we need to move on, Antonopulos said in a phone interview Sunday with The Denver Post. ", Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) April 30, 2016. It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. Denver will also honor Steve Antonopulos at one of their home games during the 2021 season. He was obviously an astute trainer, but also an arrive-early, leave-late, stay-in-his-lane employee. Steve Antonopulos has accomplished a lot over the past 45 years. 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. 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. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. It's spanned 900. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John (Elway), This is it. Please check your email for a confirmation. There are no set work hours for an athletic trainer in the NFL. Could they look to sign a veteran? Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. 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. Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. He leaves big shoes to fill at the organization. A fellow trainer at Fort Hays was Jim Gillen, who later became the head athletic trainer for the Denver Nuggets. The Broncos announced on Monday, June 7, 2021, that Antonopulos will retire after more than three decades as the team's trainer. His motto was defend your desk. And the only way to defend your desk, Antonopulos would say, is to be at your desk. 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.. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors seven times for his work. Repeated selections of injured players shows the teams confidence in Greeks abilityto assess and treat injured players. 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. Steve Antonopulos will go down as one of the best athletic trainers in the history of the NFL. He closed the door and he went nuts again. Were on the tarmac going to play San Diego. "It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. 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. 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. Denver Broncos longtime trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos retired Monday after 45 years with the team. 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. 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 went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. I loved the job, loved the place and there would be only one position I would leave there for the Denver Broncos.. It was dreary. If you dont have passion, you are in the wrong field. A look at Steve "Greek" Antonopulos' 41 years as the Broncos' head athletic trainer. Rainy. We allowed the soft tissues to heal and put him on a strengthening program and he played in about 10 days. Watch the Broncos tribute video to Greek, especially Gary Kubiaks words on how much Greek personally means to him: Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos celebrates 40 years of service with the Denver Broncos https://t.co/whCCXn6cFk.
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