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. The Broncos paid an ode to Antonopulos' hard work by naming their training room after him. Rainy. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. "It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. Scissors, tape remover, whirlpools, ultrasound gel, and treatment tables. pic.twitter.com/QngbUDNhEI. The first groups have completed their weigh-ins, measurements, and drills. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. 2 / 24. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Antonopulos spent 45 years with the Denver Broncos and was the athletic trainer to over 1,500 NFL players. Be the first one to comment on this story. Probably the most loyal employee the team has had and will ever have, Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a phone interview. The one other was (running back) Rob Lytle back in the day. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. Greek has four assistants and many intern athletic trainers. 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 Denver Broncos hired Steve Antonopulos as their assistant trainer in 1976. Five hours later, he was driving me 80 miles an hour down I-25 so I could get to the basketball game that night. Their bones, cartilage, and ligaments bear theburden of these familial expectations. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. 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.. San Diego: Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos glances at the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the locker during the post-game celebration. 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. Greek was there to give head coach Mike Shanahan continual updates as he worked to treat TDs migraine. By Tim Lynch @TimLynch1978 Jun 7, 2021, 8:50am MDT Share this story. The livelihood of their families depend on the high body performance. Championships are made on practice fields; championships are also made in training rooms and rehab gyms. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. After treating nearly 1,000 different players during the past 45 years, Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired as Broncos trainer. 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. 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.. Allen called me the first week of July. We sincerely thank his wife Susan and the entire Antonopulos family for sharing Greek with us for so many years. 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. > Top stories curated daily just for you! Repeated selections of injured players shows the teams confidence in Greeks abilityto assess and treat injured players. pic.twitter.com/N8K1CSmUdg, Kami Carmann (@KamiCarmann) August 4, 2016. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. Please logout and login again. 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. It's spanned 900. 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. In the days of the Orange Crush defense, Greek earned a customized can: . Greek was the recipient of the2011 Fain-Cain Memorial Award at the NFL Physicians Society Scientific Annual Meeting. My wife deserves this and we need to move on, Antonopulos said in a phone interview Sunday with The Denver Post. Head Athletic Trainer We always worked with Craig Hospital and the concussion experts and developed our protocols, which are similar to some that are used today. Be the first one to comment on this story. As one of six female athletic trainers in the @NFL, Allison Miner is living her dream. That poor guy. 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. It was phenomenal. Since he started setting up the training room, the Broncos have been to the playoffs 22 times. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. 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 is also fully practicing. If they are working in an NFL medical facility it can be even more. I dont have an exact set deadline on when Im coming back. 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 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.. He earned the head trainer position in 1979. Athletic trainers have one of the more important jobs on a professional sports team, especially in the NFL. The Broncos accurate confidence about Gotsis recovery greatly depended on the assessment and follow-through bythe mancalled Greek at the clubs UCHealth Training Center. During the season, Antonopulos would often arrive at the facility around 4 a.m. and stay as late as required. I woke him up. 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. So I called him. Denver Broncos trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who has served 45 years in the Broncos organization and was a part of the franchise's three Super Bowl victories, is retiring. Broncos Athletic Trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos is retiring after 45 seasons with the team. A look at Steve "Greek" Antonopulos' 41 years as the Broncos' head athletic trainer. Register now! We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. I never worked a day in my life because I loved what I was doing so much and the organization was so classy. Over that time, Antonopulos worked all eight Super Bowls that the Broncos have appeared in. Awesome was Antonopulos longevity in the often-unstable world of the NFL. https://broncoswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/08/denver-broncos-news-steve-greek-antonopulos-retires-as-trainer/, 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. Elway mentioned Greeks help in his Hall of Fame induction speech in 2004. Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis. The weather was awful. Here's a look. According to the organization, Antonopulos' 45-year tenure is. From Left to Right: Dustin Little, Josh Hartman, Steve Antonopulos, Michael Sundeen, and Billy-Joe Voltaire. 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 love my job. There is no verbal banter of windy platitudes to stoke quixotic fantasies of either management or players. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. 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. We just really hit it off and it was an opportunity that I had always dreamed about.. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After a career that spanned 45 years with the Denver Broncos, director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos has retired. The team announced the long-time athletic trainer's retirement on Monday. They required him to go there for a physical. The 2023 NFL Combine is underway. The Denver Post caught up with Steve Antonopulos, and during the interview, Antonopulos explained his reasoning behind his retirement. Could they look to sign a veteran? 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. 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. The very best of medical practitioners effortlesslyblend sincere empathy and proficient treatment with their patients. 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. He was to make $61.8 million after two years with the Colts,. I love the relationships I have developed over the years. Steve Antonopulos will go down as one of the best athletic trainers in the history of the NFL. pic.twitter.com/uwM5i7YAAm. Listen, I really appreciate you calling me. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. Of course, Greek does not do this single-handedly. I told him that, and he said. 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. No one cared more about the players than Greek. Marshall had several screws to hold together a foot while Travathan had major reconstruction surgery on his knee cap. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. 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. And then Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City has always been one of my favorites. Antonopulos, 72, started working for the Broncos on St. Patricks Day 1976 as an assistant trainer, was promoted to director of rehabilitation in 80, to head athletic trainer in 81 and was director of sports medicine since 2016. Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 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I have always respected the fact that Steve is the kind of person that will look you in the eye and tell you what he is thinking and commit to his word. Elways competitive drive helped him work through the mental challenges of rehabilitation. Longtime head athletic trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos is retiring after 45 years with the club, the team announced Monday. Tedious repetitions of arm pulls and leg lifts. 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. My wife deserves this and we need to move on,' Antonopulos told Ryan OHalloran of the Denver Post. 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.