Longtime Broncos athletic trainer, Director of Sports Medicine Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos retiring after 45 years

[Miles]

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Generations of Broncos players have sought him out for medical treatment and advice, and for much of his years with the team, Director of Sports Medicine Steve Antonopulos was perhaps the most reliable and most trusted person at Broncos headquarters.


That incredible run was unparalleled in Denver, as the man more commonly known as "Greek" became the only person on staff for each of the Broncos' eight Super Bowl appearances, including three title victories.


But after 45 memorable years with the Broncos — four as an assistant trainer, one as the director of rehabilitation, 36 as the head athletic trainer and four as the director of sports medicine — Antonopulos is retiring.


After building the kind of bonds that comes with nearly half a century with a single organization, Antonopulos represents a lot of things to a lot of people.


To players of all statures, he's a dear friend — someone who was, above all, committed to their physical and mental well-being at times of uncertainty during their careers. To those who worked for or with him, he was a cherished mentor, a prolific and pioneering figure in profession that he helped develop.


And to most people who were lucky enough to spend considerable amounts of time around him, he simply represented the Broncos organization at its best.


"Steve Antonopulos is what the Denver Broncos are all about," John Elway says. "In 45 years and the amount of players that he's helped and cured and got healthy and counseled — including me in all those instances — for 45 years, he has been the Broncos. We were very, very lucky as the Broncos to be able to have a guy like Steve Antonopulos. He cared about the Broncos and it was such a priority for him. The only guy to be involved in all eight of the Super Bowls.


"He's a guy that has been a mainstay for the Broncos and not only a great trainer when I played, but it was great working with him when I was the GM and is also a great friend. We are all blessed in Broncos Country to be able to say Steve Antonopulos was our trainer for 45 years."


That honor was something that Antonopulos cherished, and leaving it behind can come as no easy thing.


"I love the Denver Broncos," Antonopulos says. "I have put my heart and soul into this, and the Denver Broncos are first-class. They've had great leadership. They do everything the right way. It's a people business, and they care about people. … It's a relationship business, and the relationships that I've developed over the years have been phenomenal.


"... You learn to love people. You love the players. It's a bittersweet thing. You work hard to have the opportunity to retire, but to walk away from something you love, that's why I've been here so long. … To have the opportunity to stay in this position all these years, it's because you love doing what you do. And I loved doing what I'm doing."


What allowed Antonopulos to hold his position for that long was his unique combination of traits — a dedication to the organization and its players' health and wellness; his ability to build trust through communication and his warm personality; and a passion for serving his vocation as a loyal mentor and a devoted professional.