Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen is one of the leading candidates for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he said he thought about quitting football and going back to school after not playing early in the season, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.
Keenan Allen was ‘another snap away of not playing from quitting’
Keenan Allen is having an impressive rookie season, but it almost didn’t happen according to the 21-year-old.
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Allen, who starred at California and was a top prospect coming out of high school, was not used to not playing. He struggled with a lack of reps in August and said he considered quitting the NFL after not playing a snap in the first game of the season.
“After I didn’t play after that first game, I was about another snap away of not playing from quitting,” Allen said, via U-T San Deigo.
Frustrated by not living up to his own expectations of being a starter and struggling to adapt to being a backup, Allen said he called his mother and said he was “about to quit.” He didn’t and an injury to Malcolm Floyd the next week gave Allen an opportunity to play. He took advantage and has 66 receptions, 957 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns heading into the regular season finale.
So what would Allen have done if he had quit? He said he would have returned to Cal and finished his degree, possibly going into music. Allen and the Chargers are probably happy he didn’t.
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