Ryan Wood rejoiced when the Dallas Cowboys drafted him in 1996 and handed over a $13,000 signing bonus.

Then he got a $3,000 dinner bill.

Following a tradition marking the end of training camp, the running back picked highest by the team treated the other guys at his position to a sumptuous feast. Among the ballcarriers with big appetites: Emmitt Smith and Herschel Walker.

What was left would be the only money he'd pocket for playing football. The Colorado native put on a Cowboys uniform and made a couple of fleeting pre-season appearances. But soon he was summoned into coach Barry Switzer's office and sent packing. Philadelphia also looked at Dallas' seventh-round choice and passed.

A decade later, Wood no longer needs to worry about picking up the tab.

Over the past 15 months, Jake Plummer's roommate at Arizona State University has reaped a $43 million profit that would make an NFL star envious.

His road to riches began in 1999 when he went to work for Kevin Plank, a former teammate at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, where Wood spent a year after graduating from Loveland High School. His buddy had founded a sportswear maker called Under Armour.

The money was meager for a while but the move eventually paid off. The demand for Under Armour's apparel, made of fabrics designed to wick sweat away from the body, rose steadily along with the company's popularity in the pro sports world.

Finally, in November 2005, Under Armour made its stock market debut. The shares soared above $50 from an initial public offering price of $13, making Wood, Plank and other insiders very wealthy men. The shares have cooled a little yet still trade at a high-flying price. The stock closed at $46.01 Tuesday.

"It's an absolute dream," said Wood, reached on his cell phone in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he's president of Under Armour's European operations. "I've loved what I've done and looking at the financial rewards - I've been blessed beyond belief."

Wood remains heavily invested in the Baltimore-based company, with nearly 827,000 Under Armour shares worth about $38 million. His stock sales "are a way of diversifying" his holdings, he said.

"It's not healthy, it's not smart, to have all your wealth, everything you're worth, invested in one thing," the 34-year-old executive said. "It's very risky."

While Wood said he's bullish about Under Armour's prospects, as you might expect, Wall Street is cautious in the wake of the stock's significant gains. Seven of 11 analysts who track the company have "hold" ratings on the shares.

Under Armour, known for its edgy "Protect This House" advertisements, recently became the first to ink a deal to tout itself on Wrigley Field's walls. The company just estimated sales growth would slow this year to between 30 percent and 35 percent. That would translate into revenue ranging from $560 million to $580 million.

Selling the stock may not be a bad idea if you ask some critics. Brady Lemos, a Morningstar analyst, wrote in a Feb. 5 report Under Armour faces stiff competition from companies such as Nike. "We believe the market's rich valuation of UA is based on lofty revenue and profit growth projections that will be difficult to sustain as the business matures," he said.

Wood, however, said the biggest rival is cotton. Part of his mission is telling European consumers to "throw away your cotton T-shirts and sweatshirts because there's a better alternative."

Wood said the company's sports apparel is sold in 700 locations across Europe, a figure expected to double this year.

Under Armour has forged deals with a number of pro athletes, including Plummer. Wood said the company is trying to strengthen its relationship with sports such as cricket, rugby and soccer.

There are questions about what Plummer will do now that he apparently has called it quits and ended his decade-long NFL career, but going to work for Under Armour, a brand he endorsed for a while, and rejoining Wood isn't likely.

"I don't think Jake needs to work again," Wood said.

That makes two of them.

James Paton and David Milstead take turns writing Up and Down 17th Street. Contact Paton at patonj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2544.