TALL CITY
The Pride of the Permian Basin
Tall City Black Gold is professional football built for West Texas and driven by generations of pride tradition and hard work. Rooted in the Basin and shaped by the people who live it every day this team represents the grit sacrifice and unity that have defined football in our communities for decades. This is more than a franchise it is a reflection of the town the fans and the legacy that continues to rise.
Astound Stadium is the home of Tall City Black Gold and the place where West Texas football comes to life. Built for big moments and loud crowds the stadium provides a powerful game day atmosphere that brings the community together under the lights. From the opening kickoff to the final whistle Astound Stadium will be where Black Gold pride is felt shared and celebrated by fans across the Basin.
Tryout Combine
Tall City Black Gold will host its official Tryout Combine on March 1st in DeSoto Texas, giving serious athletes an opportunity to showcase their talent in front of coaches and team personnel. Players will be evaluated through position drills, competitive reps, and overall performance as we identify athletes ready to compete at the professional level. In addition, a separate West Texas tryout will take place in Midland at Reyes Mashburn Nelms on March 7th from 11am to 2pm. If you believe you have the skill, discipline, and grit to represent Black Gold, this is your chance to earn it.
Head Coach - Rodney Blackshear
Coach Rodney Blackshear brings decades of leadership football knowledge and player development experience to the field. His career includes serving as Head Football Coach at Texas College in 2014, Player Personnel Director for the Texas Revolution in the IFL from 2015–2016, Offensive Coordinator for the Mesquite Marshals in the CIFL from 2017–2018, and Wide Receivers Coach for the Arkansas Attack in the MFL in 2022. Beyond professional and collegiate football Coach Blackshear has built a reputation as a mentor educator and community leader dedicated to developing athletes on and off the field.
View Coach Blackshear’s full resume to explore his complete coaching background leadership experience and accomplishments.
Offensive Coordinator - Robert Ford
Coach Robert Ford, our Offensive Coordinator, was most recently an OC for the 2023 Oralndo Guardians in the XFL. He has spent 17 years as a coach in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals coaching running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. He coached All-Pro players in eight consecutive seasons, including Cowboys Michael Irvin, Jay Novacek and Alvin Harper; Dolphins Chris Chambers and OJ McDuffie; and Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. While with the Cowboys, Ford earned three Super Bowl rings in the 1990s.
Ford also spent 16 years at the collegiate level, coaching running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. He coached at Texas A&M, Kansas, Mississippi State, Oregon State, New Mexico and Western Illinois, as well as at Texas Tech, where Sporting News called his unit “The Best Receiver Unit in America.”
