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. 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. He closed the door and he went nuts again. I just think Pat trusted Greek more than any other employee he ever had working for him, Ellis said. 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It was embarrassing, the whole concept. In all those years, I never tried to figure out how many hours I worked.. It was dreary. His first chance came in the summer of 1969 when trainer Allen Hurst offered him an internship. 2 / 24. Marshall had several screws to hold together a foot while Travathan had major reconstruction surgery on his knee cap. Antonopulos was the longest-tenured employee at the franchise. He was to make $61.8 million after two years with the Colts,. 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. 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. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. There were 983 players who played at least one regular-season game for the Broncos in his tenure. Steve Antonopulos has been the head trainer for the Broncos ever since. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. ThenBroncos head team physician, Ted Schlegel M.D., said when presenting the award: Greek is nothing short of a consummate professional. Russell Wilson's salary cap and dead money totals for the next six seasons. It was phenomenal. "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. Veteran free agentRussell Okung, the starting left tackle, was signed during the offseason while recovering from shoulder surgery. Register now! Steve Antonopulos, a.k.a. General manager John Elway toldDenver Posts Nicki Jhabvala: Elway on Gotsis: "A guy we think has a really high *ceiling. In my mind -- like I told him the other day -- I don't think he's retired. Steve Antonopulos announced his retirement on Monday. Their bones, cartilage, and ligaments bear theburden of these familial expectations. He treated 983 players who've appeared in at least one playoff and regular-season game for the Denver Broncos. Is the job worth the derision? It is still early in the process. 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 . The Broncos accurate confidence about Gotsis recovery greatly depended on the assessment and follow-through bythe mancalled Greek at the clubs UCHealth Training Center. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. Ill always be a Bronco.. 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. Allen called me the first week of July. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. And these team doctors, for licensed medical doctors they are, can earn in the range of $200,000 and $512,500 per year. He closed the door and he went nuts again. Before the 2020 season, Steve told John Elway that the 2020-2021 season would be his final one as an athletic trainer. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. On August 3, the Broncos organization came together to celebrate 40 years of service by Greek. 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. Elway mentioned Greeks help in his Hall of Fame induction speech in 2004. Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTERto getcant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered righttoyour inbox. And then Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City has always been one of my favorites. I love my job. Steve Antonopulos has accomplished a lot over the past 45 years. Steve (Greek) Antonopulos was the first one. Although not given the recognition they so often deserve, NFL athletic trainers are some of the most important support staff members in any organization. His motto was defend your desk. And the only way to defend your desk, Antonopulos would say, is to be at your desk. I have never had a day that I dreaded coming to work. Will they play well again? "Steve Antonopulos is what the Denver Broncos are all about," John Elway aptly summed up on the Broncos' website. Its just a cool place., Oh boy, a couple of those. 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. 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. Broncos to rename training room for Steve Antonopulos, honor him at a Broncos game. 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 Broncos had never been to the playoffs and had just two winning seasons before Antonopulos arrived. Tedious repetitions of arm pulls and leg lifts. Antonopulos treated 983 players who appeared in at least one regular season/playoff game for the Broncos. I thought I would be (at Fort Hays) my whole career, Antonopulos said. Please logout and login again. Were on the tarmac going to play San Diego. 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. Professional athletic trainers are required to be certified so that they can diagnose injuries and determine treatment plans for injuries. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. That poor guy. For 45 years, athletic trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has been the epitome of what the Denver Broncos are all about.Greek, there arent words to describe the impact youve had on our organization, and we wish you nothing but the very best in retirement!#ThankYouGreek pic.twitter.com/HAKN6t7S7P. Now hes walking away for good as hes going to retire where he grew up on the eastern plains. 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. The Denver Broncos hired Steve Antonopulos as their assistant trainer in 1976. ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA. Here's a look. With unmatched dedication and loyalty to the Broncos, Greek became a trusted confidant for so many coaches, staff members and especially Pat Bowlen. 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. Antonopulos called the honor breathtaking.. 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. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. Former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, who arrived to the Broncos as a rookie . 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. The very best of medical practitioners effortlesslyblend sincere empathy and proficient treatment with their patients. 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.. Five hours later, he was driving me 80 miles an hour down I-25 so I could get to the basketball game that night. For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. The Broncos announced Wednesday that longtime trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos has been promoted to the team's director of sports medicine, where he will oversee all. His career is still going as the team's director of sports medicine. According to the organization, Antonopulos' 45-year tenure is believed to be the longest ever spent with a single NFL team. Greek watched over the knee helping to make it stronger than most, according to Matt Christopher in his book In the Huddlewith John Elway. Broncos long time trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos retires, Horse Tracks: Potential Broncos Cap Casualties in 2023, 3 players the Broncos should consider cutting to make more cap room for the 2023 free agent class. 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). It was phenomenal. Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, the Broncos' director of sports medicine, is entering his 44th season with the team. Greek in his own words,as told to the Board of Certification for Athletic Trainers: The worst part of the job is seeing players devastated by being injured. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. 2023 NFL Scouting Combine results: Defensive linemen and linebackers. It's an annual position that becomes even more demanding during training camp and the season. That poor guy. There is no verbal banter of windy platitudes to stoke quixotic fantasies of either management or players. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. I use the time to work out and do administrative tasks. With the Broncos, Greek transitioned to specialize in rehabilitation and was promoted to head trainer in 1980. 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.. Could they look to sign a veteran? John Elways pro football career had bookends of torn up body parts. Steve Antonopulos is the only Denver Broncos employee that has been with the team through all eight Super Bowl appearances, which included three title victories. The doctor that gave him the physical was Arthur Pappas, one of the Red Sox owners, and he took us over to Fenway Park and I still have the picture of John and myself at home plate. Antonopulos treated 983 players who appeared in at least one regular season/playoff game for the Broncos. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. The first groups have completed their weigh-ins, measurements, and drills. Greek also saidthat Elway was one of the best players at injury recovery. Broncos Athletic Trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. Pat Bowlen's family has chosen Steve "Greek" Antonopulos to serve as the owner's presenter at the Hall of Fame . Jiminy Christmas, Im humbled; what an awesome thing, he said. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. It is their livelihood, and it hurts to see them be injured and not be able to perform. No one cared more about the players than Greek. There are team physicians, such as head team physician Martin Boublik of Steadman Hawkins Clinic-Denver. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. Celebrating 40 years of service On August 3, the Broncos organization came together to . NFL/PFATS Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award, The National Athletic Trainers Association Athletic Trainer Service Award, NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. (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. We went a day early and went to see the Celtics play the Bulls. Awesome was Antonopulos longevity in the often-unstable world of the NFL. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. Athletic trainers are witnesses to the magic and myth of extraordinary athletic feats. The two went on to lead theteam in tackles lastseason. 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. June 9, 2021 6:00 am MT. Broncos director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos has been selected by the family of owner Pat Bowlen to present him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony Aug. 3 in Canton, Ohio. Gotsis had yet to be treated by the man crucial to his draft selection and his successful knee rehabilitation, head athletic trainerSteve Antonopulos. In Antonopulos' second season, the Broncos reached their first Super Bowl, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. During his time as a trainer, the Denver Broncos posted a 438-311-1 record. Once I get up to Denver and visit with the team doctors, they can check out my knee and do all of that, and then we can go from there. He served as the head football trainer at his alma mater in 2009 before becoming one of Greeks assistant trainers from 2010-13. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. Denver Broncos trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired after 45 years with the franchise, the team announced Monday. It paid $25 a week plus room and board, he said with a laugh. We congratulate Greek and thank him for a truly remarkable, special run with the Denver Broncos. "No one cared more about the players than Greek," Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors seven times for his work. The team announced the long-time athletic trainer's retirement on Monday. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John (Elway), This is it. 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. 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.
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