After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. 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. The next, crippled. He treated 983 players who've appeared in at least one playoff and regular-season game for the Denver Broncos. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! He had a fear of flying. Russell Wilson's salary cap and dead money totals for the next six seasons. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. A Hugo, Colorado, native, Antonopulos began his career with the Broncos as an assistant trainer in 1976. According to the organization, Antonopulos' 45-year tenure is. You have to understand he tore the long head of the bicep which is located in the shoulder joint. The Denver Post caught up with Steve Antonopulos, and during the interview, Antonopulos explained his reasoning behind his retirement. > Above video: Steve Antonopulos introduces Pat Bowlen at NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Ill see you in the morning. And that morning, we went in and he looked at me, and we just lost it. 1. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. Connor McGovern had a hamstring problem. He closed the door and he went nuts again. "Greek" is in his 41st year with the #Broncos! It was phenomenal. pic.twitter.com/QngbUDNhEI. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. 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. pic.twitter.com/6YiWPEJddX, David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) February 8, 2016. 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.. His career is still going as the team's director of sports medicine. If youre doing something you love, you dont watch the clock or think about it, he said. > Top stories curated daily just for you! Genuine compassiondoes not stokepipe dreams but conveys the everyday dignity owed to any man, especially for the players attempting to secure a livelihood for their families to leap from ongoing poverty to sustained prosperity. Forty-five years is a long time. It was dreary. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis. Championships are made on practice fields; championships are also made in training rooms and rehab gyms. We just really hit it off and it was an opportunity that I had always dreamed about.. Vince Garcia, Denvers head athletic trainer, will presumably be a strong candidate to replace Greek. 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. ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA. Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. Since he started setting up the training room, the Broncos have been to the playoffs 22 times. The fans are incredible and it was the first of the modern stadiums in the old days. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John (Elway), This is it. 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. 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. 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. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. preseason), 438 total wins, 13 head coaches, 983 players with at least one game appearance. 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. That was a tremendous victory in Broncos history. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John [Elway], This is it. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. We always worked with Craig Hospital and the concussion experts and developed our protocols, which are similar to some that are used today. 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. His salary is around $10 million and his main source of income is from his career as a business executive. 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. He held the post until 2016, after which he transitioned into his role as director of sports medicine for four years. Be the first one to comment on this story. 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. 41-yrs! In 2005, Greek said: The initial treatment wasicing, compression, and elevation (ICE). but it can also be stressful. Enjoying Sportskeeda's coverage? Take a quick 30-second survey to help us deliver the best content around NFL & College Football. The Broncos will name their training room after Antonopulos. Fangio also added that "I have hard time believing that Greek is really retired. Learn how your comment data is processed. The first groups have completed their weigh-ins, measurements, and drills. Antonopulos grew up in Hugo, Colo., 105 miles southeast of Mile High Stadium. Elways competitive drive helped him work through the mental challenges of rehabilitation. 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. 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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. He researched the previous seasons hamstring injury sustained by running back Otis Armstrong and put together a treatment/rehabilitation plan to present to Hurst. He had a fear of flying. The Denver Broncos head trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos has retired from the NFL after 45 years with the team. Repeated selections of injured players shows the teams confidence in Greeks abilityto assess and treat injured players. An interesting couple days and we had a great time.. 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. In Antonopulos second season, the Broncos reached their first Super Bowl, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. (Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. Discussing his knee rehabilitation, Gotsis at the time said. 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. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. 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. Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTERto getcant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered righttoyour inbox. His motto was defend your desk. And the only way to defend your desk, Antonopulos would say, is to be at your desk. ", Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) April 30, 2016. 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. 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 elation and what historically happened there for the Broncos was unbelievable., The old Kingdome in Seattle was a great place because of the crowd noise and it was a good place to travel. Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. It was phenomenal. Allen called me the first week of July. 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. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. Greek watched over the knee helping to make it stronger than most, according to Matt Christopher in his book In the Huddlewith John Elway. In the days of the Orange Crush defense, Greek earned a customized can: . It is still early in the process. It is their livelihood, and it hurts to see them be injured and not be able to perform. "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. #NGWSD. 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. 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 training is also one of the first NFL staff positions to be held by women. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! 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. 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. Broncos trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos retires after 45 seasons with franchise - The Denver Post Sports NFL Denver Broncos News News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by. 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. My wife deserves this and we need to move on,' Antonopulos told Ryan OHalloran of the Denver Post. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. No one cared more about the players than Greek. Steve Antonopulos assists injured QB John Elway at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Sunday Jan.12, 1992. (Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. Greeks retirement is effective immediately. Yet behind closed doors they respond to the ordinary, commonplace maladies of bruises, lacerations, soft tissue tears, and broken bones. 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. Sleeting. John Elways pro football career had bookends of torn up body parts. 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. 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. Antonopulos is the only Broncos employee who has been to all eight Super Bowls. He embodies the principles of the Fain-Cain Award, and he continues to impact all of those who have been around him. There were 983 players who played at least one regular-season game for the Broncos in his tenure. It's spanned 900. 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. I love being around young people who keep me young. Allen called me the first week of July. "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. 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. Antonopulos graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. "We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. I use the time to work out and do administrative tasks. Over that time, Antonopulos worked all eight Super Bowls that the Broncos have appeared in. 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 one other was (running back) Rob Lytle back in the day. Antonopulos treated 983 players who appeared in at least one regular season/playoff game for the Broncos.