Keenan Allen

Keenan Alexander Allen is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football in California before leaving after his junior year. He was drafted by the Chargers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Allen won multiple rookie honors after setting Chargers' records for receptions and receiving yards by a rookie. In 2017, he was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, along with a Pro Bowl selection. Since then, he’s been a constant presence at the Pro Bowl, going to 5 straight.

Keenan Allen’s Early Life and Background

Allen attended Grimsley Senior High School and then Northern Guilford High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he played football, basketball, and ran track. In football, he was a standout on both sides of the ball for the Nighthawks football team. He was a 2009 high school All-American, selected by USA Today and Parade, and also played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, returning one punt for 33 yards as well as one kickoff also for 33 yards. Allen was a state qualifier in the long jump, as well as competing in sprints as a senior. Allen was regarded as a five-star recruit and was widely considered the top defensive back in the nation.

He initially committed to the University of Alabama to play safety but later switched to the University of California in order to play wide receiver and play with his half-brother, Zach Maynard. Allen started as a wide receiver for the California Golden Bears football team from 2010 to 2012. As a freshman in the 2010 season, he had 46 receptions for 490 yards and five touchdowns. As a sophomore in the 2011 season, Allen had a career-high 98 catches for 1,343 yards. As a junior in the 2012 season, he had 61 receptions for 737 yards and six touchdowns. He left Cal after his junior season having caught a school-record 205 passes, for 2,570 yards (third in school history) and 25 touchdowns (seventh).

Who Drafted Keenan Allen?

Due to a PCL sprain, Allen did not work out at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was described as one of the best receivers in the 2013 NFL Draft, with a late first-round pick in the cards. On April 9, 2013, Allen attended his own pro day, where he showed his route-running skills and catching abilities to numerous scouts and reporters. Because of not being at his physical peak, his stunted performance affected his draft position. Allen was drafted in the third round with the 76th overall pick by the San Diego Chargers, even with the team having solid depth at the WR position.

Keenan Allen’s NFL Journey

Keenan Allen has enjoyed one of the wildest rides as an NFL player in recent memory. After starting off getting little to no playing time, to the point of considering quitting the sport, Allen made use of opportunities presented through injury luck and put together one of the better rookie campaigns. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year as well as the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. From there on, his career took a dive, mainly due to injuries, and failure to play a solid enough stretch to gain consistency over the next 3 years, and a lot of people wrote off Keenan’s trajectory. However, a career renaissance in 2017 has led to 5 straight Pro Bowl selections and an NFL Comeback Player of the Year award trophy to his case, making him one of the most statistically impressive WRs in the league today.

Keenan Allen teams

Los Angeles Chargers (2013-Present)

On May 9, 2013, Allen signed a four-year, $2.81 million contract with the Chargers, which included a $613,800 signing bonus. Allen struggled at times during training camp and was named a reserve. Due to the demotion, Allen considered quitting football and returning to school but started receiving playing time due to injuries to his teammates. In Week 14, he broke the franchise record for receptions in a rookie season, surpassing LaDainian Tomlinson, with 61 with three weeks remaining in the regular season. Allen finished the season leading all NFL rookies with 71 receptions and led the team with 1,046 receiving yards—which also broke the Chargers rookie record of 1,001 set by John Jefferson in 1978. He also set a Chargers rookie record with five 100-yard games in a season, and he tied Eddie Royal for the team lead in touchdowns. He was voted NFL Rookie of the Week 4 times and was named NFL Rookie of the Year by Sporting News. His selection in the third round was viewed as a steal. He finished with six receptions for 142 yards in the Divisional Round, becoming just the second rookie in NFL history to gain 100 receiving yards and score two touchdowns in a playoff game. Injuries plagued his next three seasons with mediocre numbers before he went down, before changing his fortunes in the 2017 season.

In Week 13, Allen became the first player in NFL history to record three consecutive games of 10+ catches, 100+ receiving yards, and at least one touchdown. He was named to his first Pro Bowl and finished with 102 receptions for 1,393 yards and six touchdowns, breaking the Chargers’ record for most receptions in a season. He was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year after an impressive season coming back from a torn ACL. He has since gone on to 4 more Pro Bowls, finishing around the 100-reception, 1,000+ yard mark every season.

Keenan Allen Awards and Honours

Keenan Allen's Net Worth

As of December 2022, Keenan Allen’s net worth is $1.5 Million, owing largely to his four-year $80.1 million contract extension with the Chargers on September 5, 2020. To get a more comprehensive breakdown of Allen’s contract, check here.

Keenan Allen family

Allen is Lumbee and is the younger half-brother of quarterback Zach Maynard, who also played at Cal. The two combined for the longest pass play in school history when they hooked up on a 90-yard score against the Washington Huskies. They share a mother, Dorie Maynard-Lang, and Maynard's biological father, Scott Lang, is Allen's stepfather. Allen's cousin, Maurice Harris, is a former NFL wide receiver, with the two being teammates in high school and college.

Allen is a childhood friend of former cornerback David Amerson, who was selected in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins.