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          NFL Nation

          Chargers WR Keenan Allen wins Comeback Player of the Year

          Keenan Allen went from missing almost all of the 2016 season to making his first Pro Bowl. Tom Pennington/Getty Images
          • Eric D. Williams, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 4, 2018, 12:56 AM
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            • Covered Seahawks for Tacoma News Tribune for six seasons.
            • Played college football at University of Puget Sound
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          COSTA MESA, Calif. -- As expected, Los Angeles Chargers receiver Keenan Allen won this year's Associated Press Comeback Player of the Award, announced during the NFL Honors ceremony on Saturday in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

          Allen joins Philip Rivers (2013) and Drew Brees (2004) as Chargers who have won the honor. Allen also earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors from the Pro Football Writers Association and The Sporting News.

          The Cal product played a full, 16-game season for the first time in his five-year NFL career, finishing with 102 catches for 1,393 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

          Allen's 102 catches are the most in franchise history, and his 1,393 receiving yards are second-most in team history.

          During a three-game stretch from Week 11 to Week 13, Allen became the first player in NFL history to record 10-plus catches, over 100 receiving yards and at least one touchdown in three consecutive games. Allen finished with 33 catches for 442 receiving yards and four touchdowns in wins over the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns.

          Allen suffered a right ACL injury during the first half of the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016, ending his season. However, Allen rebounded after a diligent rehab, making the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.

          Allen appeared in 859 snaps on offense. He even had an interception on defense on a Hail Mary attempt by quarterback Bryce Petty against the New York Jets.

          One of the best route runners in the league, Allen finished with an NFL-high 36 receptions for 552 receiving yards and two touchdowns on third down. A former running back in high school, Allen's 512 yards after catch was good enough for No. 8 in the NFL and third among receivers in 2017.