The very best of medical practitioners effortlesslyblend sincere empathy and proficient treatment with their patients. During his 45-year career with the Broncos, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. 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. Professional football players endure incessant chronic pain in the playing days and beyond. 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. We sincerely thank his wife Susan and the entire Antonopulos family for sharing Greek with us for so many years. 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.. Among his career accolades are the Fain-Cain Memorial Award (2011), an honor bestowed to trainer who exemplifies long-term commitment to the NFL, the NFL/PFATS Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award (1987), the National Athletic Trainers Association Athletic Trainer Service Award (1996) and the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award (2006). His 43 years with the Broncos is believed to be the longest tenure by an athletic trainer with one NFL team. 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). 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. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. The Denver Post caught up with Steve Antonopulos, and during the interview, Antonopulos explained his reasoning behind his retirement. Russell Wilson's salary cap and dead money totals for the next six seasons. Trainer Antonopulos, a Broncos' 'fixture,' retires, The future of the NFL combine: Is there really a chance it could end forever? I never worked a day in my life because I loved what I was doing so much and the organization was so classy. 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. According to the organization, Antonopulos' 45-year tenure is. Steve Antonopulos, a.k.a. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. Greek goes to bed early because he gets here about 4 in the morning or 4:30 in the morning. 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. 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. For me I want to be back early August, September, ready to go 100 percent, full go. pic.twitter.com/N8K1CSmUdg, Kami Carmann (@KamiCarmann) August 4, 2016. 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. Steve Greek Antonopulos, the only person to work for the Broncos during each of their eight Super Bowl appearances, announced Monday he is retiring after 45 seasons of service. 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. The Broncos will name their training room after Antonopulos. There are no set work hours for an athletic trainer in the NFL. 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. Antonopulos grew up in Hugo, Colo., 105 miles southeast of Mile High Stadium. 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 will have a new person as the head of their training staff for the first time in a long time. 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. 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. And he played the whole game. 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. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Broncos trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), 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. We sincerely thank his wife Susan and the entire Antonopulos family for sharing Greek with us for so many years.. 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. Were on the tarmac going to play San Diego. Please check your email for a confirmation. Rather respecting them in their most important roles as sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands. When the Broncos open training camp next month, Antonopulos wont be on the sidelines for the first time since 1975. ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA. Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis had this to say about Antonopulos during a phone interview with the Denver Post. I love the challenges that are presented each day. NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. 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. 1. Antonopulos, 72, has worked with the Broncos for nearly 50 years, making his the longest career with one team in NFL history. Found this classic can in hubs stuff. Here are those results. ThenBroncos head team physician, Ted Schlegel M.D., said when presenting the award: Greek is nothing short of a consummate professional. Steve Antonopulos is retiring from the Denver Broncos after 45 years with the team. He closed the door and he went nuts again. An interesting couple days and we had a great time.. For a 2 p.m. start, he comes tothe stadium at 7:30 a.m. In honor of his impact & dedication these last 45 years, were naming the training room after Steve Greek Antonopulos. He earned the head trainer position in 1979. Antonopulos was the longest-tenured employee at the franchise. I love being around young people who keep me young. It wasnt really an injury. Jaguars won't spend big, but here are five players they could target in free agency, The most memorable pre-NFL draft workouts ever: Coaches, scouts, execs make their picks, 2023 NFL franchise tag tracker: Raiders tag Josh Jacobs, the NFL's rushing leader. Greek also saidthat Elway was one of the best players at injury recovery. 13655 Broncos Parkway Englewood, CO 80112. According to the organization, Antonopulos' 45-year tenure is believed to be the longest ever spent with a single NFL team. Enjoying Sportskeeda's coverage? It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. 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. I work for a great organization that cares about people. Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. 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. Marshall had several screws to hold together a foot while Travathan had major reconstruction surgery on his knee cap. That was a tremendous victory in Broncos history. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's cap hit might be rising in 2023, but owner Jerry Jones believes his quarterback has the ability to bridge the gap in any talent the roster might lose because of it. If youre doing something you love, you dont watch the clock or think about it, he said. 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.. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Professional athletic trainers are required to be certified so that they can diagnose injuries and determine treatment plans for injuries. A typical day for me starts at 4 a.m. Antonopulos grew up in Hugo, Colo., 105 miles southeast of Mile High Stadium. The Denver Broncos hired Steve Antonopulos as their assistant trainer in 1976. At the moment, Im just completely thrilled to be a Denver Bronco and I cant wait to get up there. He was the team's head trainer for 37 seasons and spent the past four seasons as the director of sports medicine. Fangio also added that "I have hard time believing that Greek is really retired. He was obviously an astute trainer, but also an arrive-early, leave-late, stay-in-his-lane employee. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. Their athletic body movements express their identity. 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. Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. They see players near impossible athletic feats, creating the illusion of invincibility. I told him that, and he said. 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. 2023 NFL Scouting Combine results: Defensive linemen and linebackers. Sleeting. The best thing is stay in your domain, stay at your desk and work your rear end off.. My philosophy was if you do your job and do a good job, theyll get to you. 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. 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. It was embarrassing, the whole concept. Your login session has expired. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. Denver Broncos trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired after 45 years with the franchise, the team announced Monday. Bowlen was football first, business second'. Ill see you in the morning. And that morning, we went in and he looked at me, and we just lost it. We sincerely thank his wife Susan and the entire Antonopulos family for sharing Greek with us for so many years.". "We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. 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. In all those years, I never tried to figure out how many hours I worked.. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. What a run. Be the first one to comment on this story. Championships are made on practice fields; championships are also made in training rooms and rehab gyms. ", Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) April 30, 2016. Greek was the recipient of the2011 Fain-Cain Memorial Award at the NFL Physicians Society Scientific Annual Meeting. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? The Broncos announced on Monday, June 7, 2021, that Antonopulos will retire after more than three decades as the team's trainer.