Repeated selections of injured players shows the teams confidence in Greeks abilityto assess and treat injured players. 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. The Denver Broncos have leaned toward acquiring injured players during the offseason.Three of the top five draft picks had injuries that prevent them for full athletic participation in the rookie mini camp on May 6-8. Here are those results. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. 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. 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. If youre doing something you love, you dont watch the clock or think about it, he said. 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. They see their players physical and emotional fragility. Rainy. In Antonopulos second season, the Broncos reached their first Super Bowl, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. 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. Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. I am an early person, and I learned years ago I need some time by myself before anyone gets here. Or does the salary serve as a salve to those wounds? The fans are incredible and it was the first of the modern stadiums in the old days. Their bones, cartilage, and ligaments bear theburden of these familial expectations. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. That was a tremendous victory in Broncos history. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. By Tim Lynch @TimLynch1978 Jun 7, 2021, 8:50am MDT Share 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. Denver Broncos athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos, who recently retired this offseason, was the longest tenured athletic trainer in the NFL. Were on the tarmac going to play San Diego. Adhesive bandages, electrodes, ice bags, and kinesiology tape. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. He was obviously an astute trainer, but also an arrive-early, leave-late, stay-in-his-lane employee. Included in the Broncos' draft room is trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who is working his 41st NFL Draft. 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 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. I always thought that might zing me one day.. Horse Tracks: Should the Broncos spend big money on a free agent running back. From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. Like Antonopulos, Garcia got his bachelors degree from Northern Colorado. 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.. An interesting couple days and we had a great time.. I went and got a summer job on the state highway back home that summer and I was getting married. 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. In all he was on the sideline for 941 games (preseason, regular season and postseason) and worked for 13 different head coaches. Denver will rename the training room at UCHealth Training Center the Steve "Greek" Antonopulos Training Room and will recognize the trainer at a home game this season. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. In all those years, I never tried to figure out how many hours I worked.. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. Bowlen was football first, business second'. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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. Athletic training is also one of the first NFL staff positions to be held by women. 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. Steve Greek Antonopulos, head trainer for the Denver Broncos, has announced his retirement from the NFL after 45 years with the team. (Kicker) Jim Turner caught a (25-yard) touchdown pass on a fake field goal (from holder Norris Weese) and (linebacker) Tom Jackson went over and gave the bird to (coach) John Madden. 13655 Broncos Parkway Englewood, CO 80112. General manager John Elway toldDenver Posts Nicki Jhabvala: Elway on Gotsis: "A guy we think has a really high *ceiling. Here's a look. After becoming head athletic trainer for the South Metro Fire Rescue in Centennial from 2014-15, Garcia rejoined the Broncos training staff as Antonopulos top assistant in 2016. I was making good money on the highway and going to college. Allen called me the first week of July. You have to understand he tore the long head of the bicep which is located in the shoulder joint. The Raiders plan to place the franchise tag on running back Josh Jacobs if the sides cannot come to a deal on a long-term extension by Tuesday's deadline, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Friday. Broncos Athletic Trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. Discussing his knee rehabilitation, Gotsis at the time said. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. 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 leaves big shoes to fill at the organization. He was Bowlen's presenter when Bowlen was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2019. Instead of cutting the tackle, Denver traded him and gaineda future fifth-round draft pick. pic.twitter.com/N8K1CSmUdg, Kami Carmann (@KamiCarmann) August 4, 2016. Running back could be a sneaky priority need for the Denver Broncos. 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. Elway mentioned Greeks help in his Hall of Fame induction speech in 2004. Their grandparents often move better in that instant. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Five hours later, he was driving me 80 miles an hour down I-25 so I could get to the basketball game that night. Antonopulos grew up in Hugo, Colo., 105 miles southeast of Mile High Stadium. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. The Denver Broncos head trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired from the NFL after 45 years with the team. His first chance came in the summer of 1969 when trainer Allen Hurst offered him an internship. "A great, great guy, as well as a great ambassador.". He is the only individual to be part of all eight Broncos Super Bowl runs. The Moving can be an exciting experience. 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 got $26.4 million without playing a down for the Colts last year 32 percent more than his first-year salary with the Broncos. 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. Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis. Antonopulos, 72, has worked with the Broncos for nearly 50 years, making his the longest career with one team in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/QngbUDNhEI. pic.twitter.com/6YiWPEJddX, David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) February 8, 2016. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. Vince Garcia, Denvers head athletic trainer, will presumably be a strong candidate to replace Greek. The best thing is stay in your domain, stay at your desk and work your rear end off.. 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. Elways competitive drive helped him work through the mental challenges of rehabilitation. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. Not a member? It was dreary. 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. 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 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. Broncos Athletic Trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. Broncos' Athletic Trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. The weather was awful. Learn how your comment data is processed. Allen called me the first week of July. It was phenomenal. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon. Celebrating 40 years of service On August 3, the Broncos organization came together to . Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, the Broncos' director of sports medicine, is entering his 44th season with the team. He was named Colorado Sportswriter of the Year in 2019. I always thought that might zing me one day.. 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. I work for a great organization that cares about people. 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. I told him that, and he said. Steve Antonopulos, a.k.a. He researched the previous seasons hamstring injury sustained by running back Otis Armstrong and put together a treatment/rehabilitation plan to present to Hurst. 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. In my mind -- like I told him the other day -- I don't think he's retired. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. In fact over his NFL career Elway ran for3,407 yards and 33 touchdowns. 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. It was dreary. It is their livelihood, and it hurts to see them be injured and not be able to perform. 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. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. 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. 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. He had the fingernail on his thumb totally torn off and was bleeding all over the place. We just really hit it off and it was an opportunity that I had always dreamed about.. We sincerely thank his wife Susan and the entire Antonopulos family for sharing Greek with us for so many years.". Ill always be a Bronco.. The Drive was so special. Greek was the recipient of the2011 Fain-Cain Memorial Award at the NFL Physicians Society Scientific Annual Meeting. "It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. That way, we are either working with them or doing administrative work. His salary is around $10 million and his main source of income is from his career as a business executive. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. For me, Ill always remember Antonopulos for the clips he dominated from Super Bowl 32 when Terrell Davis went down with a migraine in the second quarter. Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. San Diego: Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos glances at the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the locker during the post-game celebration. Their athletic body movements express their identity. The Broncos will honor Antonopulos at a home game this season and the team will rename their training room after the longtime trainer. 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. Antonopulos was the longest-tenured employee at the franchise. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Steve Antonopulos will go down as one of the best athletic trainers in the history of the NFL. "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," Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement. I dont have an exact set deadline on when Im coming back. 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. It paid $25 a week plus room and board, he said with a laugh. And he played the whole game. We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. The Denver Post caught up with Steve Antonopulos, and during the interview, Antonopulos explained his reasoning behind his retirement. 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. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. During John Elway's 16-year playing career and his decade leading the Broncos' front office, he was able to rely on Director of Sports Medicine Steve "Greek" Antonopulos for a lot. 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. He earned the head trainer position in 1979. I thought I would be (at Fort Hays) my whole career, Antonopulos said. I love the relationships I have developed over the years. (Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. Head Athletic Trainer What a run. Steve (Greek) Antonopulos was the first one. 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. Greeks success there was evident as TD would go on to dominate the second half and lead Denver to its first Super Bowl championship. Probably the most loyal employee the team has had and will ever have, Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a phone interview. Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTERto getcant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered righttoyour inbox. They required him to go there for a physical. "Greek" is in his 41st year with the #Broncos! Now hes walking away for good as hes going to retire where he grew up on the eastern plains. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Listen, I really appreciate you calling me. Sleeting. 1. Antonopulos has been an athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos for a total of 941 games. Fangio also added that "I have hard time believing that Greek is really retired. Even before taking his first snap with the Broncos, he tore his left knees ACL in high school. No one cared more about the players than Greek. 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. By 1987 he received the NFL/Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) award for Training Staff of the Year. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. Greek does sustained hard work with players that benefits in indirect ways. At the moment, Im just completely thrilled to be a Denver Bronco and I cant wait to get up there. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. Championships are made on practice fields; championships are also made in training rooms and rehab gyms. pic.twitter.com/uwM5i7YAAm. Found this classic can in hubs stuff. ThenBroncos head team physician, Ted Schlegel M.D., said when presenting the award: Greek is nothing short of a consummate professional. Anthopoulos successful career has earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy cars.
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