Instead of cutting the tackle, Denver traded him and gaineda future fifth-round draft pick. And then Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City has always been one of my favorites. I love the energy required to survive in this game. pic.twitter.com/uwM5i7YAAm. 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. (Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. Allen called me the first week of July. Their athletic body movements express their identity. That was a tremendous victory in Broncos history. Antonopulos called the honor breathtaking.. Professional athletic trainers are required to be certified so that they can diagnose injuries and determine treatment plans for injuries. 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It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. He leaves big shoes to fill at the organization. The 2023 NFL Combine is underway. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? 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. Be the first one to comment on this story. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! I went and got a summer job on the state highway back home that summer and I was getting married. Antonopulos spent 45 years with the Denver Broncos and was the athletic trainer to over 1,500 NFL players. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. Awesome was Antonopulos longevity in the often-unstable world of the NFL. He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. I love my job. Running back could be a sneaky priority need for the Denver Broncos. Please logout and login again. Steve Antonopulos assists injured QB John Elway at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Sunday Jan.12, 1992. He embodies the principles of the Fain-Cain Award, and he continues to impact all of those who have been around him. My wife deserves this and we need to move on,' Antonopulos told Ryan OHalloran of the Denver Post. 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. Denver Broncos longtime trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos retired Monday after 45 years with the team. No other NFL trainer has treated a teams general manager, head coach, offensive coordinator and current roster of players. NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Players are not treated as replaceable pieces of football productivity. https://t.co/2uuh4JmP6H#ThankYouGreek pic.twitter.com/VljaBUgaTn, Probably the most loyal employee the team has had and will ever have, Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis told Ryan OHalloran of The Denver Post. It is still early in the process. Broncos' Athletic Trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. pic.twitter.com/QngbUDNhEI. Horse Tracks: Should the Broncos spend big money on a free agent running back. pic.twitter.com/6YiWPEJddX, David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) February 8, 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. 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. It wasnt really an injury. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. It was phenomenal. He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. ", 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.". Vince Garcia. 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. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. @Broncos celebrating head trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos tonight. Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis. 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. Ill see you in the morning. And that morning, we went in and he looked at me, and we just lost it. Greeks success there was evident as TD would go on to dominate the second half and lead Denver to its first Super Bowl championship. 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. Awesome was Antonopulos longevity in the often-unstable world of the NFL. Antonopulos grew up in Hugo, Colo., 105 miles southeast of Mile High Stadium. For a 2 p.m. start, he comes tothe stadium at 7:30 a.m. 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. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. They required him to go there for a physical. 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. That way, we are either working with them or doing administrative work. Even before taking his first snap with the Broncos, he tore his left knees ACL in high school. 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.. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After a career that spanned 45 years with the Denver Broncos, director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos has retired. He had a fear of flying. ThenBroncos head team physician, Ted Schlegel M.D., said when presenting the award: Greek is nothing short of a consummate professional. In all he was on the sideline for 941 games (preseason, regular season and postseason) and worked for 13 different head coaches. A good trainers room is filled with the mundane, bathed in the light of here-and-now reality. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! 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. The Moving can be an exciting experience. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. Antonopulos was the longest-tenured employee at the franchise. 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. Over that time, Antonopulos worked all eight Super Bowls that the Broncos have appeared in. One moment they move with extraordinary grace, quickness, and power. Trainer Antonopulos, a Broncos' 'fixture,' retires, The future of the NFL combine: Is there really a chance it could end forever? "Greek" is in his 41st year with the #Broncos! 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. Antonopulos service was rewarded in 2019 when the Bowlen family named him as presenter to longtime Broncos owner Pat Bowlen for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I just think Pat trusted Greek more than any other employee he ever had working for him, Ellis said. The first groups have completed their weigh-ins, measurements, and drills. His physical was first thing in the morning. Now hes walking away for good as hes going to retire where he grew up on the eastern plains. Enjoying Sportskeeda's coverage? I always thought that might zing me one day.. 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. There were 983 players who played at least one regular-season game for the Broncos in his tenure. More Videos From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. We allowed the soft tissues to heal and put him on a strengthening program and he played in about 10 days. pic.twitter.com/N8K1CSmUdg, Kami Carmann (@KamiCarmann) August 4, 2016. Antonopulos grew up in Hugo, Colo., 105 miles southeast of Mile High Stadium. Ill always be a Bronco.. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retires after 45-year Broncos career Counting players on training camp roster, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. 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. 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. The Denver Broncos head trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos has retired from the NFL after 45 years with the team. 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. 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. Repeated selections of injured players shows the teams confidence in Greeks abilityto assess and treat injured players. 13655 Broncos Parkway Englewood, CO 80112. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos with Jim Gillen talk being head athletic trainers https://t.co/nTFo5XtbrK, R. David Mullin (@RD_Mullin) August 17, 2016. 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. Anthopoulos successful career has earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy cars. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon. 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. What a run. 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. The Broncos had never been to the playoffs and had just two winning seasons before Antonopulos arrived. 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. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. Athletic trainers are witnesses to the magic and myth of extraordinary athletic feats. Denver Broncos athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos, who recently retired this offseason, was the longest tenured athletic trainer in the NFL. Allen called me the first week of July. 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. Be the first one to comment on this story. 41-yrs! Ryan OHalloran covered the Broncos for The Post from 2018-22 and has covered the NFL since 2004. Athletic trainers have one of the more important jobs on a professional sports team, especially in the NFL. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. An interesting couple days and we had a great time.. Greek goes to bed early because he gets here about 4 in the morning or 4:30 in the morning. Antonopulos called the honor breathtaking.. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. The next, crippled. Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. 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. The Drive was so special. He was Bowlen's presenter when Bowlen was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2019. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. Connor McGovern had a hamstring problem. 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. Greek also saidthat Elway was one of the best players at injury recovery. Gambling problem? By 1987 he received the NFL/Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) award for Training Staff of the Year. A typical day for me starts at 4 a.m. He is also fully practicing. My philosophy was if you do your job and do a good job, theyll get to you. 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. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. In Antonopulos second season, the Broncos reached their first Super Bowl, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. So I called him. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. > Above video: Steve Antonopulos introduces Pat Bowlen at NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony. I am an early person, and I learned years ago I need some time by myself before anyone gets here. | . (Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. After Greeks retirement was announced, team president/CEO Joe Ellis released the following statement: 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. John Elways pro football career had bookends of torn up body parts. 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. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. At the moment it is week-by-week. I never worked a day in my life because I loved what I was doing so much and the organization was so classy.
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