CORTLAND — Calvin Pace is 32 years old and in his 11th season in the NFL. Yet, the Jets linebacker says he feels younger than his years, inspired by an influx of young defensive players who constantly seek his wisdom.
“I like their energy,” Pace told The Post this week. “They give me a little energy. As the veteran of the team, it’s crazy playing with guys who were born in 1990. But in the same respect that’s where the game is going. The game is getting younger. You’re not going to see guys playing until they’re 34 and 35. When I came in you had guys in their 15th year and still going strong.”
Pace joined the Jets in 2008 after playing his first five years with the Cardinals. He had 15 sacks over his first two seasons with Gang Green. But the sack numbers have dropped from 5 1/2 in
2010 to 4 1/2 to three last year. He was released in February and re-signed in April at a reduced price.
A Rex Ryan guy without the bravado of a Bart Scott, Pace should be a good influence on players such as first-round pick defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson; Quinton Coples, the second-year defensive lineman/linebacker from North Carolina; second-year linebacker Demario Davis, third-year defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis, and even defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, who also is in his third season.
“Their energy on and off the field is helping me out,” Pace said. “I like being around them. It’s a joy to play with them. Everybody goes through their growing pains, even veterans. But the thing about them is they’re willing to work and they listen. We’ve just got to keep working together.”
For most veterans, training camp can be mundane. But Pace said he understands the importance of setting standards during this training camp that will help the franchise not just this season but in the future.
“It starts with the importance of practice,” Pace said. “You play how you practice. That’s why you want to go hard and give it everything you can. You’re only out here for an hour and 45 minutes. You’ve got that little [time] to go hard so when you get in the game is second nature to you.”
There also are the lessons taught through trial and error.
“You take your lumps and you build,” Pace said. “Very few guys can come in Day 1 and be that guy. It’s kind of my job and the job of David [Harris] and [Antonio] Cromartie to keep their confidence up. Bad stuff is going to happen to everybody. Just keep playing.”
After nearly one week of camp, the young players understand the NFL is a different level.
“In college you’re just better than everybody else most times,” Pace said. “It can be hard to get out of that mind frame of ‘I can do the same thing I did in college.’ But you’re playing against grown men who have mortgages and kids to put through college, so it’s for real now. Everybody goes through trying to figure out, ‘this is what I’ve got to do to be a pro.’ They’re getting it.”
Then Pace singled out Coples and Wilkerson for greatness.
“They’ve had their bumps in the road, but those guys are going to be star players in this league because of their work ethic,”
Pace said. “They’re starting to see the bigger picture. They’re starting to see that light.”
Pace never cared much for all the hype that seemed to follow the Jets. He is one of those players who would rather not have the nonsense. He said he is enjoying this training camp, where the focus has been all about football.
“I love it like this,” he said. “Training camp is a grind. You don’t need undue pressure. You see things written about us and you hear things said. Most of it is not true, like about how we’re a circus. But it’s a product of having a coach that speaks his mind. It’s a product of going to two AFC Championship games. But I like the attitude we’ve got going on now.”
george.willis@nypost.com