NFL

Jets’ Sanchez seeks big win over old coach Carroll

ROSE-Y SCENARIO: Pete Carroll — then the coach of the Trojans and now with the Seahawks — presented his quarterback, Mark Sanchez, with the Rose Bowl trophy in 2009. Now, the two will square off this Sunday in Seattle. (Getty Images)

Beat Pete.

Make him eat his words like one of those double-double, “animal style’’ burgers at the In ’N Out they used to chow at together after practices in Southern California.

The Jets’ game against the Seahawks Sunday in Seattle marks the first NFL meeting between Mark Sanchez and his former USC coach Pete Carroll since Carroll, now the Seahawks’ head coach, went public with his controversial opinion about how Sanchez was not ready to make the jump to the NFL.

In 2009, while the Jets were in the process of courting Sanchez as their franchise quarterback in the weeks before the NFL Draft, this is what Carroll said about his quarterback:

“The facts are so strong against this decision. After analyzing all the information, the truth is there, he should have stayed for another year. He lost out on a chance to fully prepare himself. The facts are there’s a 62 percent failure rate for underclassman quarterbacks. I don’t agree with the assessment of the decision.’’

Sanchez did not listen. Neither did the Jets, who took him with the fifth pick in the draft.

On Sunday, Sanchez will start his 62nd game with the Jets. He owns a career 30-25 regular-season record and is 4-2 in the playoffs.

Despite his earlier misgivings, no one sounded prouder of what he’s accomplished despite not heeding his advice than Carroll, who gushed about him yesterday.

“Just because he didn’t do what I thought doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right thing,’’ Carroll said. “Whatever I thought he needed to overcome he left that in the dust and kicked butt and had a great first two years and is having a great career. When he made the decision, he stood up and grew up, was a man about it and went about proving it.

“He went out and proved that he was ready. [That] was a tremendous demonstration of a guy’s belief in himself. He [left early] because he knew he could do it. He believed it was the right time. He went against some of the people closest to him to do that and I respect the heck out of him for that.’’

Carroll said he “talked to him just like he was my own son.’’

Sanchez yesterday did not sound like someone harboring ill feeling for Carroll despite his negative words at such a delicate time. Sanchez, in fact, called Carroll “one of the most influential people in my life.’’

“I felt it was the right decision no matter what anyone said, and once you make a decision like that there’s no turning back,’’ Sanchez said. “The most important thing I heard during that process was that I have to live it out to be the right decision for me. [Carroll] wasn’t the only one saying, ‘Don’t go.’ There were plenty of people, my parents included.

“He had a strong opinion, and he felt like I should stay. I had my own opinion about it and I had to make a decision for myself and live it out to be the right decision for me. I have no regrets coming here and being a part of this franchise.’’

Jets coach Rex Ryan yesterday said he totally understood where Carroll was coming from when he made those comments.

“I did not blame Pete Carroll one bit, because if I had that young man as my quarterback, I’d say whatever it took to get the guy to stay with me — like, ‘Oh, you’re not ready, son; as far as you know you’re not ready to play.’ Deep down [Carroll] knew he was ready.’’

Carroll said it’s “going to be cool’’ facing his former quarterback, saying, “I love playing against our guys. The people I love the most I like to beat the most.’’

Sanchez smiled when those words were relayed to him.

“He used to say that in college,’’ Sanchez said. “I remember him saying that when we’d lose a coach to another team he’d say, ‘We really got to go get this one. He used to sit in here in these team meetings and now we got to go kick his [butt].’ ’’

With his team’s season on the brink, this is what Sanchez needs to do Sunday, almost four years after Carroll’s controversial words: Beat Pete.