NFL

‘Terminator’ Conner pushing Jets fullback Richardson

CORTLAND — Tony Richardson, the Jets’ ageless fullback who has 16 seasons on his resume and a fresh face that belies his 38 years, was asked by a reporter yesterday if his plans are to play one more season and retire.

“You don’t really think about that because the minute you start thinking, ‘This is it,’ it’s like when a teacher says this is the last week of school and you go ahead and cash it in,” Richardson said. “So mentally I’m not going to think about whether this is it. I don’t think about those things.”

Coach Rex Ryan, however, has quite a bit to think about at the fullback position because he is smitten with rookie John Conner, a battering-ram blocker whom the Jets drafted (on Ryan’s strong recommendation) out of Kentucky in April.

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Ryan said on Thursday said that Conner is “pushing” Richardson and made it sound like it’s no lock that he will keep two fullbacks on the roster after last week saying he was pretty certain he would keep two.

Ryan hedged a bit yesterday, saying it was “too early” to tell if he would keep two.

Richardson said yesterday he is not intimidated by the competition, yet what makes the competition compelling is the fact that Richardson has been the most central figure in helping develop Conner. He said that Conner has been in his “back pocket,” constantly asking him questions.

“I’ve been in this league since 1994 and one thing I’m not afraid of is competition,” Richardson said.

Richardson, because of his veteran leadership, durability and remaining ability, is very likely to remain on the roster despite Ryan’s infatuation with Conner.

Ryan’s love affair with the soft-spoken fullback, who has had the nickname “The Terminator” since he was young because his name is similar to the character John Connor from that movie series, began when Ryan was scouting film of a linebacker who was playing against Conner’s Kentucky team.

“When I was looking at tape of a linebacker that he was killing, I was like, ‘Shoot, forget him, let’s draft this one,’ ” Ryan recalled. “He’s a thumper, and it just put a smile on my face.”

With traditional blocking fullback a dying breed in football, Richardson called Conner “a different breed.”

“A guy like Conner, he doesn’t have any regard for his body — he goes in there and smashes people,” he said. “As he gets a little older he’ll understand your shelf life is not that long.”

Richardson said Conner has not been one of those rookies who ticks off veteran defensive players with his aggression in practices.

“The thing about [it] is John is such a nice guy,” he said. “If he came in and was a [bleep] about it, yeah he’d [tick] some of the veterans guys on defense off.

“He’s just a great kid doing what he’s told to do — go in and hit people.”

Conner said that has been his agenda from the start.

“I wanted to come in and make a little name for myself and get some respect level,” he said. “One thing I’ve taken pride in is playing hard and letting the opposing defender that I’m here to play, I’m here to stay.”

mcannizzaro@nypost.com