13655 Broncos Parkway Englewood, CO 80112. I use the time to work out and do administrative tasks. Longtime head athletic trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 years with the club, the team announced Monday. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. His 43 years with the Broncos is believed to be the longest tenure by an athletic trainer with one NFL team. 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.. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. Russell Wilson's salary cap and dead money totals for the next six seasons. We certainly wouldnt have gone to Cheers had we known it would take that long. I loved the job, loved the place and there would be only one position I would leave there for the Denver Broncos.. Longtime head athletic trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 years with the club, the team announced Monday. For me I want to be back early August, September, ready to go 100 percent, full go. "We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. A fellow trainer at Fort Hays was Jim Gillen, who later became the head athletic trainer for the Denver Nuggets. 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. My philosophy was if you do your job and do a good job, theyll get to you. He was Bowlen's presenter when Bowlen was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2019. "A great, great guy, as well as a great ambassador.". A Hugo, Colorado, native, Antonopulos began his career with the Broncos as an assistant trainer in 1976. When the Broncos open training camp next month, Antonopulos wont be on the sidelines for the first time since 1975. Greek was the recipient of the2011 Fain-Cain Memorial Award at the NFL Physicians Society Scientific Annual Meeting. You have the passion to do it. 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. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. Could they look to sign a veteran? The Denver Broncos head trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired from the NFL after 45 years with the team. Steve Antonopulos will go down as one of the best athletic trainers in the history of the NFL. We sincerely thank his wife Susan and the entire Antonopulos family for sharing Greek with us for so many years. 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. In all those years, I never tried to figure out how many hours I worked.. https://broncoswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/08/denver-broncos-news-steve-greek-antonopulos-retires-as-trainer/, 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. 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 . Aftersigning his $24.5 million contract with the Chicago Bears during the offseason,the NFL tweeted this about Trevathan: Knee injury.Knee injury.Knee injury.Big contract? I was making good money on the highway and going to college. His motto was defend your desk. And the only way to defend your desk, Antonopulos would say, is to be at your desk. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. He was obviously an astute trainer, but also an arrive-early, leave-late, stay-in-his-lane employee. That way, we are either working with them or doing administrative work. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. 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). His physical was first thing in the morning. June 9, 2021 6:00 am MT. 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. 2023 NFL Scouting Combine results: Defensive linemen and linebackers. He was to make $61.8 million after two years with the Colts,. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. Antonopulos called the honor breathtaking.. There were 983 players who played at least one regular-season game for the Broncos in his tenure. Yet behind closed doors they respond to the ordinary, commonplace maladies of bruises, lacerations, soft tissue tears, and broken bones. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. On August 3, the Broncos organization came together to celebrate 40 years of service by Greek. 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.. I love the energy required to survive in this game. I went and got a summer job on the state highway back home that summer and I was getting married. Antonopulos started with the Broncos as an assistant athletic trainer in 1976, became the team's director of rehabilitation in 1979 and was hired as Denver's head athletic trainer in 1980. A good trainers room is filled with the mundane, bathed in the light of here-and-now reality. An MRI told us the stub from the bicep was not in the joint. His physical was first thing in the morning. 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. April 12, 2017 at 10:38 a.m. 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. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? I work for a great organization that cares about people. An interesting couple days and we had a great time.. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. Athletic training is also one of the first NFL staff positions to be held by women. "No one cared more about the players than Greek. The livelihood of their families depend on the high body performance. At the moment it is week-by-week. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. He served as the head football trainer at his alma mater in 2009 before becoming one of Greeks assistant trainers from 2010-13. I love caring for people. 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. There are no set work hours for an athletic trainer in the NFL. Before the 2020 season, Steve told John Elway that the 2020-2021 season would be his final one as an athletic trainer. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. 'Defend My Desk' How did Antonopulos survive so many regime changes? Sleeting. Broncos Athletic Trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. NFL/PFATS Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award, The National Athletic Trainers Association Athletic Trainer Service Award, NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. There is no verbal banter of windy platitudes to stoke quixotic fantasies of either management or players. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. 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. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors seven times for his work. Listen, I really appreciate you calling me. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. Steve Antonopulos has accomplished a lot over the past 45 years. Antonopulos graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. Broncos' Athletic Trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. If you do not acknowledge the unique importance of Greek, then you chronically underestimate the Broncos. Included in the Broncos' draft room is trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who is working his 41st NFL Draft. All three are full training camp participants. Greek has four assistants and many intern athletic trainers. Please check your email for a confirmation. 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. 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. Be the first one to comment on this story. 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. 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. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! The weather was awful. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. 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. 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. The 2023 NFL Combine is underway. A typical day for me starts at 4 a.m. 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. Steve Greek Antonopulos, head trainer for the Denver Broncos, has announced his retirement from the NFL after 45 years with the team. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! 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. In honor of his impact & dedication these last 45 years, were naming the training room after Steve Greek Antonopulos. I just think Pat trusted Greek more than any other employee he ever had working for him, Ellis said. A native of North Dakota and graduate of Kansas State, OHalloran previously covered the Washington Redskins for eight years, primarily at The Washington Times, and the Jacksonville Jaguars for six years at The Florida Times-Union. My wife deserves this and we need to move on,' Antonopulos told Ryan OHalloran of the Denver Post. Ryan OHalloran covered the Broncos for The Post from 2018-22 and has covered the NFL since 2004. 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. Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. The fans are incredible and it was the first of the modern stadiums in the old days. And he played the whole game. It was phenomenal. View Steve Antonopulos's record in Limon, CO including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Antonopulos joined the Broncos as assistant athletic trainer in 1976 . Scissors, tape remover, whirlpools, ultrasound gel, and treatment tables. Register now! With unmatched dedication and loyalty to the Broncos, Greek became a trusted confidant for so many coaches, staff members and especially Pat Bowlen. 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. 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. 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.
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