steve antonopulos salary
I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. 13655 Broncos Parkway Englewood, CO 80112. We had a few of those guys, but he was to the hilt. Here are his assistants at Super Bowl 50 in February: Congrats to @broncos and the athletic training staff. https://t.co/2uuh4JmP6H#ThankYouGreek pic.twitter.com/VljaBUgaTn, Probably the most loyal employee the team has had and will ever have, Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis told Ryan OHalloran of The Denver Post. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. After treating nearly 1,000 different players during the past 45 years, Steve Greek Antonopulos has retired as Broncos trainer. pic.twitter.com/MB6he9cRUp, Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 4, 2016. At the moment it is week-by-week. Discussing his knee rehabilitation, Gotsis at the time said. Counting players on training camp roster, Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. 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. Is the job worth the derision? I just think Pat trusted Greek more than any other employee he ever had working for him, Ellis said. A unique choice for a unique owner: Why the Bowlen family chose Steve Counting players on training camp roster, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. Manning has "lot of work to do" on neck, but Broncos know Former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, who arrived to the Broncos as a rookie . Then in 1996 he received National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Athletic Trainer Service Award, and in 2006 Greek was given the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. The best thing is stay in your domain, stay at your desk and work your rear end off.. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Antonopulos, 72, whom most everyone with the team and in the league knows simply as "Greek," has been with the Broncos since 1976. 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. No other NFL trainer has treated a teams general manager, head coach, offensive coordinator and current roster of players. In all those years, I never tried to figure out how many hours I worked.. 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. Sleeting. His motto was defend your desk. And the only way to defend your desk, Antonopulos would say, is to be at your desk. He was Bowlen's presenter when Bowlen was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2019. 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. Trainer Antonopulos, a Broncos' 'fixture,' retires, The future of the NFL combine: Is there really a chance it could end forever? He is the teams 12th man. He earned the head trainer position in 1979. His physical was first thing in the 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. We just really hit it off and it was an opportunity that I had always dreamed about.. That poor guy. 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. Applauding him as "an institution with the Broncos for the last 45 years," Denver bid farewell Monday to director of sports medicine Steve Antonopulos, who retired at 72 years old. Steve Greek Antonopulos, head trainer for the Denver Broncos, has announced his retirement from the NFL after 45 years with the team. Not a member? Greeks retirement is effective immediately. 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. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? He was obviously an astute trainer, but also an arrive-early, leave-late, stay-in-his-lane employee. A fellow trainer at Fort Hays was Jim Gillen, who later became the head athletic trainer for the Denver Nuggets. You'll now receive the top Broncos Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Included in the Broncos' draft room is trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos, who is working his 41st NFL Draft. 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. I thought I would be (at Fort Hays) my whole career, Antonopulos said. There are team physicians, such as head team physician Martin Boublik of Steadman Hawkins Clinic-Denver. View Steve Antonopulos's business profile as Head AT at Denver Broncos. Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos with Jim Gillen talk being head athletic trainers https://t.co/nTFo5XtbrK, R. David Mullin (@RD_Mullin) August 17, 2016. Ill see you in the morning. And that morning, we went in and he looked at me, and we just lost it. Probably the most loyal employee the team has had and will ever have, Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said in a phone interview. Here are those results. My wife deserves this and we need to move on, Antonopulos said in a phone interview Sunday with The Denver Post. Repeated selections of injured players shows the teams confidence in Greeks abilityto assess and treat injured players. Odds & lines subject to change. The Drive was so special. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! As one of six female athletic trainers in the @NFL, Allison Miner is living her dream. You must be logged in to leave a comment. The Denver Post caught up with Steve Antonopulos, and during the interview, Antonopulos explained his reasoning behind his retirement. A typical day for me starts at 4 a.m. During his 45-year career with the Broncos, Steve Antonopulos treated more than 1,500 players. 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. 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. 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. 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. Toward the end Elways ripped bicep. It paid $25 a week plus room and board, he said with a laugh. Paul Klee: Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos to present Broncos owner Pat "A great, great guy, as well as a great ambassador.". I loved the job, loved the place and there would be only one position I would leave there for the Denver Broncos.. It's spanned 900. 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. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is "fired up" to work with Washington's new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. At the moment, Im just completely thrilled to be a Denver Bronco and I cant wait to get up there. Greek was the recipient of the2011 Fain-Cain Memorial Award at the NFL Physicians Society Scientific Annual Meeting. He held the post until 2016, after which he transitioned into his role as director of sports medicine for four years. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. By 1987 he received the NFL/Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) award for Training Staff of the Year. It wasnt really an injury. Yet behind closed doors they respond to the ordinary, commonplace maladies of bruises, lacerations, soft tissue tears, and broken bones. It was dreary. Broncos' sports medicine director retiring after 45 seasons - AP NEWS Steve Antonopulos assists injured QB John Elway at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Sunday Jan.12, 1992. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. When I see a player incurring a major injury withering in pain on the field, I am seeing most the emotional agony and fear of uncertainty. 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. No one cared more about the players than Greek. Antonopulos graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. Trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos: Through The Years - Denver Broncos The Moving can be an exciting experience. If youre doing something you love, you dont watch the clock or think about it, he said. He is also fully practicing. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. Denver Broncos athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos, who recently retired this offseason, was the longest tenured athletic trainer in the NFL. He worked under three owners and 10 head coaches and was a part of 22 playoff teams and three Super Bowl champions. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Antonopulos grew up in Hugo, Colo., 105 miles southeast of Mile High Stadium. 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. After the 1980 season, he was elevated to head trainer and split his old salary in half to hire two assistants. An interesting couple days and we had a great time.. 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 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. 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. ", Broncos coach Vic Fangio said following Monday's OTA practice: "45 years of service to one organization is unheard of in the NFL, and that speaks volumes to his competency and the value he brought to this organization over such a long period of time.". It was embarrassing, the whole concept. Antonopulos treated 983 players who appeared in at least one regular season/playoff game for the Broncos. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? 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.. 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. "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 joined the Broncos as assistant athletic trainer in 1976 . Denver Broncos trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos has retired after 45 years with the franchise, the team announced Monday. What is your favorite memory of the Broncos long-time head trainer? 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. 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. Michigan cornerback DJ Turner II is the early leader for fastest player at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine after posting a time of 4.26 seconds in the 40-yard dash on Friday. We had to put him on injured reserve because he couldnt travel. Antonopulos, 72, was a constant factor in the Broncos long run of success over the last 4+ decades treating and working with every single player Denver employed over those years. Elway mentioned Greeks help in his Hall of Fame induction speech in 2004. I was blessed to be a part of the elation of that. Take a quick 30-second survey to help us deliver the best content around NFL & College Football. It didnt matter if they were a Hall of Famer or an undrafted rookiehis standard never changed. The team announced the long-time athletic trainer's retirement on Monday. How much do athletic trainers make in the NFL? - Sportskeeda 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. But according to those who know him well, Greeks domain also contains a rare element in the Not For Long professional football league: an endless supply of unsentimental, deep compassion. 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. I told him that, and he said. A native of Hugo and graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Antonopulos first joined the Broncos in 1976 as assistant trainer to Allen Hurst. Please logout and login again. Denver Broncos longtime trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos retired Monday after 45 years with the team. 2023 NFL Scouting Combine results: Defensive linemen and linebackers. Bowlen was football first, business second'. As he would watch games with his father and neighbors, he would say to himself, Someday, somehow, someway, Im going to work for the Denver Broncos.. 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. Could they look to sign a veteran? Five hours later, John went through everything you could imagine and he ended up vomiting all over the place. And then Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City has always been one of my favorites. A look at Steve "Greek" Antonopulos' 41 years as the Broncos' head athletic trainer. He was obviously an astute trainer, but also an arrive-early, leave-late, stay-in-his-lane employee. What a run. 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. Ill always be a Bronco.. 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. Ill have to say, back in the day, we always felt we were on the cusp of the concussion stuff. So I called him. Steve Antonopulos has been the head trainer for the Broncos ever since. Broncos athletic trainer Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retiring after 45