Mark Cannizzaro

Mark Cannizzaro

NFL

Quiet Pace advises Jets to seize the day vs. Panthers

When the horn sounded shortly after noon Friday signaling the end of the Jets’ last practice before their have-to-have-it game against the heavily-favored Panthers on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C., the players gathered for one final message from a hand-picked speaker of Rex Ryan’s choosing.

This recently has become a regular post-practice ritual that Ryan calls “wise words,’’ The Post has learned.

And Friday’s speaker might have delivered the most powerful “wise words’’ of the season given the critical circumstances the 6-7 Jets find themselves in and considering who the messenger was — 11-year veteran linebacker Calvin Pace, usually a man of few words.

“Some guys may only see Calvin Pace as a guy who doesn’t talk much, other guys may see him in a different light,’’ Ryan told The Post Friday. “The man’s smart. He’s an 11-year veteran and he’s telling you a powerful message. The message was great, because it was from the heart.’’

Right tackle Austin Howard, who made it to the playoffs in his rookie year in Philadelphia and hasn’t been back since, was riveted by Pace’s words.

“His message was, ‘Take advantage of what we have in front of us. We don’t know where we’re going to be next year, so take advantage of the here and now. We have to go out there and take advantage of this opportunity, have faith in the guy next to you, have faith that we’re a good team, have faith that we can go out there and win this game.’ ”

Ryan said he used this “wise words’’ exercise when he was in Baltimore, but had not used it with the Jets until recently when the team acquired safety Ed Reed a month ago and he asked Reed to say a few words.

“Every single person has some amazing stories or some wise words from the heart,’’ Ryan said. “Believe me, when guys are going through it you hang on every word.’’

The buzzword from Pace that players hung on most was “opportunity’’ and how precious these moments can be because they are not guaranteed.

“Calvin spoke straight from the heart,’’ guard Willie Colon told The Post. “I have so much respect for Calvin. He has a quiet demeanor, but he speaks from his heart and plays from his heart. For young guys they could be thinking, ‘OK, if I don’t get to the playoffs this year I’ll play better next year.’ For me, coming off three IRs [injured reserve] and with a new team, there is no such thing as next year. You have to live in the now and have a complete understanding that you have to perform now.’’

Rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, like a lot of Jets players, was moved by Pace’s message.

“No matter how long you’ve been in the game, you never know when it’ll be the last time you hang your cleats up,’’ Richardson told The Post. “Opportunities like this don’t always come, being in hunt for the playoffs, and he was letting us know where his mindset was. You feel for him, a guy like ‘CP,’ who hasn’t had a chance to play in the big one. He deserves it. Those are the guys you want fight for on every down.

“Those ‘wise words’ meant a lot to me. I think the rest of the team took heed to that, too. He’s not that talkative, so when he speaks people listen. He kept it real. That’s what ‘CP’ does. He keeps it real.’’

Sunday’s game figures to be a highly difficult one to win for the Jets, 11-point underdogs to the 9-4 Panthers, whose No. 2 overall defense might feast on turnover-prone rookie quarterback Geno Smith and the Jets’ 30th-ranked offense.

The Jets, of course, don’t want to hear any of that. They instead vow to adhere to Pace’s “wise words’’ and believe.

“His message was to make everything you do count, because in this game you only get so many opportunities to make the playoffs,’’ linebacker David Harris said.

The Jets have a number of key veterans on their roster who have never been to the playoffs before, including ninth-year tight end Kellen Winslow and fourth-year receiver David Nelson.

“The ‘wise words’ thing is awesome, but on Sunday it’s about action, it’s about doing,’’ Winslow said.

“This is as close as it gets for me,’’ Nelson said. “You don’t know how many times you’ll get this opportunity again. For guys who’ve been in the league for 11 years, this may be their last chance. For guys like myself in my fourth year, this is my first chance and it could be my last.’’