The Rise of the Valkyrie

In the February 2012 ad campaign featuring NFL Rookie of the Year Cam Newton, he was seen wearing the Valkyrie short- originally designed for Spring 2011 basketball. The "Big Logo short" as it came to be known inside the office walls, has grown to be the highest selling basketball short in Under Armour's history. Watch the video to see more images and check out more images after the jump.

The Making of An Icon

I began my Under Armour tenure designing strictly basketball but in Spring 2011, I was given the opportunity to reinvigorate the Team Sports category- specifically baseball. One of the first changes I wanted to make was create sports-specific icons that would help differentiate the baseball line from the rest of the categories. The futuristic home plate on All Star Shortstop Jose Reyes' tee came to be the official baseball icon for all Under Armour baseball product and signage. Check out some more pictures after the jump and the original sketch of the baseball icon.

Alabama Wins the 2012 BCS National Championship

For the second year in a row, the BCS Football National Champion has come from the SEC Conference- the Alabama Crimson Tide. To commemorate Alabama's victory, I'm posting some of the NCAA football heritage tees that I designed for Mitchell & Ness. They were released in Fall '09 and constructed of 100% Ringspun Cotton using distressed water-based inks for the front chest graphic as well as the back neck facing detail. The tees paid homage to each school's storied football past and were inspired by old game tickets, programs and stickers. Check out more detailed views after the jump.

2012 NFL Combine short

Many football insiders jokingly refer to the NFL Combine as the "Underwear Olympics" due to the sheer number of athletes dashing, bench-pressing and jumping in Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium in little more than compression tops, tights, socks and cleats. Its the ultimate show-me-what-you-got job interview for aspiring NFL players. And just as in every performance, there must be zero distractions. This is the reason why the stretch woven short seen above was designed.

Elite 24 Player Edition Bonded Hoody

Kyle Anderson is the smooth leader behind St. Anthony's HS (Jersey City, NJ) undefeated season and national #2 ranking in the country. He has commited to play at UCLA next year and could very well be in the NBA Draft this time next year. He is wearing the Elite 24 player's only edition of the bonded sweater hoody. Check out more detailed shots...

MPZ Football

Under Armour's first innovation was on the football field when the company starting selling compression-fitting shirts to be worn under the players' pads in extreme conditions of hot or cold weather. 1996 seems like lifetime ago once you see the evolution of the football uniform that players wear today. "MPZ" stands for Maximum Protection Zones and it represents the most technical impact top and shorts anywhere. Worn by elite players at every competitive level, including the NFL, these styles utilize EVA foam in the exact areas where collisions occur most on the field. Check out more images...

2010 NBA All Star Weekend- Brandon Jennings

"I want to thank Nick for designing this sick hoody for me..."

During Brandon's first year in the NBA, he set the Rookie scoring record by racking up 55 points and he was awarded a spot in the annual Rookies vs. Sophomores Game. Prior to the game, Brandon was seen hanging out in Texas in the UA Special Ops hoody conducting interviews and relaxing before the game. Check out some detailed shots after the jump.