Tall City Black Gold Sign First 3 Players in Franchise History
The Tall City Black Gold out of Midland, Texas, ended last week with a bang, signing their first 3 players in franchise history. Tall City had a town hall announcing Rodney Blackshear as their first head coach in franchise history, but the news wasn’t over. The Black Gold signed their first 3 players in franchise history- Ja’Ree Pitt, Eddie Godina, and Cayden Burger. Here’s an in-depth look at the new guys out in Midland.
Ja’Ree Pit
Ja’Ree Pitt is a running back from Ahoskie, North Carolina. He would stay in The Great State of North Carolina for his college football career, starting at Methodist University in Cumberland County, NC. Pitt was primarily a backup running back and special teams blocker during his freshman and sophomore seasons. He totaled 3 rushes for 4 yards in 2 seasons at Methodist. After having almost no playing time for the Monarchs, Pitt transferred to Division 2 Elizabeth City State University in 2020. Elizabeth City State didn’t play any games in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that year, Ja’Ree grinded in the gym and kept working out for his “true” junior season.
In 2021, Ja’Ree would rush for 2 yards combined with 15 receiving yards. For his last season in college, Ja’Ree proved his hard work paid off, scoring his first collegiate touchdown while having 9 rushing yards on the season. During his college football career, Ja’Ree Pitts might not have run for the most yards, but his special teams and blocking ability got him playing time throughout each season. Ja’Ree declared for the 2023 NFL Draft but was never selected or signed a contract. Ja’Ree maintained football shape throughout, not playing football, which led him to sign with The Brand New Tall City Black Gold CoFL Team in 2026. Ja’Ree Pitt will be one of the best special teams blockers and tacklers in the CoFL for their inaugural season.
OL Cayden Burger
Cayden Burger is an O-Lineman from Chicago, Illinois. After High School, Cayden only had a single opportunity to continue his career, so he bet on himself and signed with the Elmhurst Blue Jays in his hometown of Chicago. He would be a starter for his 2 years playing for the Blue Jays from 2023-24. Playing at a Division 3 school taught Burger to love the game. He would declare for the 2025 NFL draft, receiving no interest from any professional outdoor football team. When most quit, Cayden continued to grind, striving for his first pro opportunity. That opportunity would come after the 2025 NFL Draft, when he signed to the Orlando Predators AF1 Team. Once the Predators went dormant before the season even started, Cayden Burger had to try to find another opportunity. A couple of weeks later, the Washington Wolfpack came calling, and he accepted the challenge. Cayden will be back outdoors playing football as he signed with the CoFL’s Tall City Black Gold for their inaugural season in 2026.
K Eddie Godina
Eddie Godina is a kicker from Whitehouse, Texas. He would stay in his home state to play JUCO at Trinity Valley Community College. His freshman season in 2018 ended with only 1 extra point made for the Cardinals. Godina’s sophomore season in 2019 was historic in the NJCAA. Eddie Godina broke the record for most field goals made, going 26-for-30. He made 37 out of the 41 extra points to add to his record-breaking season. He totaled 115 points for the Cardinals’ 2019 squad. Godina was named a NJCAA All-American and GridironRR NJCAA Kicker of the Year.
The historic season led him to D1 Northwestern State University, where he would play out the rest of his career. Northwestern State moved its 2020 season back to Spring of 2021. He would finish his first season with the Demons, going 6/12 on Field Goals and 13/15 on Extra Points. The biggest moment of the season was beating #14 Incarnate Word on a last-second field goal. Back to a full season in the fall of 2021, Godina was the starting kicker again, going 5/10 on field goals and 17/18 on extra points before missing the final 3 games due to an injury. Eddie Godina came back for one last season in 2022, going 3/5 on Field Goals and 28/30 on Extra Points. After his 5 seasons in college, Godina would declare for the 2023 NFL.
Eddie Godina would go undrafted and become a free agent. As a free agent, he would attend the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Houston Texans Pro Days to showcase his abilities to NFL coaches. Godina would also attend the Nick Novak Elite Kicking Showcase in San Diego several times, where he kicked in front of XFL and UFL coaches and general managers. All of the kicking showcases would pay off this week when the Tall City Black Gold signed Eddie Godina to be their kicker in 2026. Godina hopes to bring a record-breaking season for the CoFL.
Final Thoughts
The Tall City Black Gold have been busy this week signing their first 3 players in franchise history. Coach Blackshear wants to get his special teams right by signing a key blocker and their kicker. The Black Gold added their first man up front, Cayden Burger, to help whoever they end up signing as their quarterback. What do you think of these new signings to the Oil Field?