He was going to coach.

Then he found out he could play instead.

For Nick Wingfield, that was happy news indeed.

Wingfield, on the verge of turning 21, will be in the middle of the action for the Prince George Northern Eagles, an expansion team in the Tier 2 division of the B.C. Football Conference this season. He'll operate at cornerback, receiver or running back.

Originally, the versatile Wingfield wasn't age-eligible to put the pads on. But the BCFC held a conference call and decided to allow each of the four Tier 2 teams to use six "overagers" in the interests of fielding full squads. Wingfield, a former high school player at Kelly Road and D.P. Todd, jumped at the chance to get in the game. His good friend Regan Lokken may take advantage of the opportunity as well.

"When I heard about the conference call, that six 21-year-olds would be allowed, I was on the phone to Regan right away," Wingfield said with a grin.

With a future in football in mind, Wingfield had already been training hard and now he can't wait for the season to kick off. For the Northern Eagles, that will happen April 14 in Richmond.

"I was interested in trying out for some junior teams and hopefully getting a chance to talk to some university coaches this year," he said. "This gives me a great chance to get in playing shape and a playing mindset to go down and hopefully turn some heads and make a roster. Just this past year I started going back to school to get my grades ready in case an opportunity came up."

The 21-year-old Lokken was also planning to coach with the Eagles this season. He may still do just that, but has also been in full gear during practice sessions at the Northern Sport Centre.

"It would be nice [to play]," he said. "It would be the last year I can play, and with Nick it would be fun."

Lokken played high school football for the College Heights Cougars and then spent some time with the Victoria-based Westshore Rebels of the BCFC.