Rick Massie was a receiver from Kentucky. With unmatched dedication and loyalty to the Broncos, Greek became a trusted confidant for so many coaches, staff members and especially Pat Bowlen. 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. Steve Antonopulos is retiring from the Denver Broncos after 45 years with the team. I never worked a day in my life because I loved what I was doing so much and the organization was so classy. Denver Broncos athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos, who recently retired this offseason, was the longest tenured athletic trainer in the NFL. Example video title will go here for this video. ", Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) April 30, 2016. It's an annual position that becomes even more demanding during training camp and the season. His physical was first thing in the morning. During his time as a trainer, the Denver Broncos posted a 438-311-1 record. 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. 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. Vince Garcia. pic.twitter.com/6YiWPEJddX, David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) February 8, 2016. The Denver Broncos head trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired from the NFL after 45 years with the team. Scissors, tape remover, whirlpools, ultrasound gel, and treatment tables. 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. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 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. 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. Steve Antonopulos has been the head trainer for the Broncos ever since. 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. Steve Antonopulos announced his retirement on Monday. Denver Broncos longtime trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos retired Monday after 45 years with the team. June 9, 2021 6:00 am MT. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. Running back could be a sneaky priority need for the Denver Broncos. 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. 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. 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. When I committed to come back for this past season, I told John [Elway], This is it. 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). His first chance came in the summer of 1969 when trainer Allen Hurst offered him an internship. One moment they move with extraordinary grace, quickness, and power. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. "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 trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos has retired after 45 years with the franchise, the team announced Monday. 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. Steve Antonopulos will go down as one of the best athletic trainers in the history of the NFL. The Broncos had never been to the playoffs and had just two winning seasons before Antonopulos arrived. Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis had this to say about Antonopulos during a phone interview with the Denver Post. The team announced the long-time athletic trainer's retirement on Monday. pic.twitter.com/uwM5i7YAAm. 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. Not only did the club pick up Gotsis in the draft, but the Broncos chose running back Devontae Booker, who recently had two surgical procedures on a torn meniscus. I woke him up. From there, we went to Cheers bar and ran into some Denver people and had a couple cold ones. An interesting couple days and we had a great time.. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Here's a look. He is also fully practicing. The players arrive for treatment at 6:30 a.m., and the player meetings start around 8:15 a.m. We have long-term rehabs while players are in meetings. 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. At the moment, Im just completely thrilled to be a Denver Bronco and I cant wait to get up there. 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. NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. 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. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. Anthopoulos successful career has earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy cars. Greek was there to give head coach Mike Shanahan continual updates as he worked to treat TDs migraine. He embodies the principles of the Fain-Cain Award, and he continues to impact all of those who have been around him. Register now! Awesome was Antonopulos longevity in the often-unstable world of the NFL. 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. Your login session has expired. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson put on a show Saturday at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, making history during his highly anticipated workout. Now hes walking away for good as hes going to retire where he grew up on the eastern plains. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. My wife deserves this and we need to move on, Antonopulos said in a phone interview Sunday with The Denver Post. Allen called me the first week of July. He was the team's head trainer for 37 seasons and spent the past four seasons as the director of sports medicine. What a run. 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. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. 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. Athletic trainers are witnesses to the magic and myth of extraordinary athletic feats. 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. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. 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Aftersigning his $24.5 million contract with the Chicago Bears during the offseason,the NFL tweeted this about Trevathan: Knee injury.Knee injury.Knee injury.Big contract? 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. His career is still going as the team's director of sports medicine. The best thing is stay in your domain, stay at your desk and work your rear end off.. Denver Broncos trainer Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired after 45 years with the franchise, the team announced Monday. Antonopulos called the honor breathtaking.. 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. During his 45-year career with the Broncos, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. He told me after the fact he was going to take a half-hour (for the interview) and be on his way, Antonopulos said. 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 longest-tenured employee in Denver Broncos history is hanging them up. Antonopulos called working for the Broncos a lifes dream., A lot of people say that, but it was the reality for me, he said. Greek does sustained hard work with players that benefits in indirect ways. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retires after 45-year Broncos career Counting players on training camp roster, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. Sign up for the Broncos Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. On August 3, the Broncos organization came together to celebrate 40 years of service by Greek. Repeated selections of injured players shows the teams confidence in Greeks abilityto assess and treat injured players. 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.. For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. 41-yrs! Greeks retirement is effective immediately. 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. Although not given the recognition they so often deserve, NFL athletic trainers are some of the most important support staff members in any organization. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. The Broncos paid an ode to Antonopulos' hard work by naming their training room after him. "Greek" is in his 41st year with the #Broncos! 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. 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. And then Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City has always been one of my favorites. Ill always be a Bronco.. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. I was making good money on the highway and going to college. Our organization wishes him the very best in his retirement. The Broncos announced on Monday, June 7, 2021, that Antonopulos will retire after more than three decades as the team's trainer. The best thing is stay in your domain, stay at your desk and work your rear end off.. Greek watched over the knee helping to make it stronger than most, according to Matt Christopher in his book In the Huddlewith John Elway. 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. The 2023 NFL Combine is underway. A good trainers room is filled with the mundane, bathed in the light of here-and-now reality. 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. Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Past and current players including Peyton Manning and Von Miller . According to the organization, Antonopulos' 45-year tenure is. Not a member? We allowed the soft tissues to heal and put him on a strengthening program and he played in about 10 days. The Broncos accurate confidence about Gotsis recovery greatly depended on the assessment and follow-through bythe mancalled Greek at the clubs UCHealth Training Center. Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTERto getcant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered righttoyour inbox. "It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Gotsis had yet to be treated by the man crucial to his draft selection and his successful knee rehabilitation, head athletic trainerSteve Antonopulos. John Elways pro football career had bookends of torn up body parts. Or does the salary serve as a salve to those wounds? He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors seven times for his work. The weather was awful. Included in the Broncos' draft room is trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who is working his 41st NFL Draft. (Coach) Dan Reeves made the decision to have him drive to San Diego for the game. 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. We just really hit it off and it was an opportunity that I had always dreamed about.. 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. He treated 983 players who've appeared in at least one playoff and regular-season game for the Denver Broncos. He took a year off from football, resuming play without an ACL for the remainder of his career. ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA. It was pretty much a no-brainer when somebody puts in that amount of time, Ellis said. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. 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. 2 / 24. The Drive was so special. The Denver Post caught up with Steve Antonopulos, and during the interview, Antonopulos explained his reasoning behind his retirement. | . They see players near impossible athletic feats, creating the illusion of invincibility. It didn't matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookie -- his standard never changed. 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).