FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Former New York Jets great Mark Gastineau, estranged from his old team in recent years, made an emotional return on Wednesday. He watched practice, chatted with the defensive linemen afterward and choked up when T.J. Barnes, who wears No. 99 -- the number Gastineau made famous in the 1980s -- asked him to pose for a picture.

"A tear came to my eye," Gastineau told ESPN.com afterward. "I almost started crying when 99 said, 'It's an honor to wear your jersey.' We took pictures together. That was so nice. It was a big surprise for me."

The players know Gastineau from his mural-sized picture on the wall of the field house, overlooking the indoor practice field. He's up with the other members of the Jets' Ring of Honor.

The younger generation probably doesn't remember Gastineau, but he was an iconic player for the Jets in the post-Joe Namath era. A member of the celebrated New York Sack Exchange, he was a prolific pass-rusher (22 sacks in 1984) with a sack dance that thrilled the home crowd and enraged opponents. For all his talent, he was regarded as a selfish player who alienated teammates. But he was wildly popular, often showing up on the gossip pages.

On Wednesday, Gastineau, 58, showed up in an all-black suit and white shirt. He still has that big hair -- curiously, no gray -- but the years have taken a toll. His George Hamilton tan is long gone. His face is thin and pasty, his eyes set deep. He was carrying a stack of flyers from the Times Square Church in Manhattan, where he belongs. "Let us pray for you," the flyer says, encouraging people to text or email prayers to them.

Yes, Gastineau has found religion, the same Gastineau whose mother once told him, "There's a Higher Power, and it's not you, Mark."

He also has found the Jets, saying he feels more welcome now than ever. He credited Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan with making him feel wanted again. Leaving the facility late in the day, he bumped into Maccagnan and thanked him profusely for the invitation.

"It's nice to be asked and be part of something that you were a part of," Gastineau said.

He apparently didn't feel the love from Rex Ryan, which is odd because Ryan had an appreciation for the Jets' history. After all, his father, Buddy, was an assistant coach on the Super Bowl III team.

"I don't know what it was," said Gastineau, explaining why he didn't feel welcome under Ryan, who coached from 2009 to 2014. "I kind of used to be like Rex. I did a lot of talking. Todd Bowles is a really, really humble guy."

During his playing days, Gastineau was anything but humble.

"I was in my Rolls Royce, riding down Meadowbrook Parkway," he said. "I had to have a Rolls Royce because when you make $65,000 a week, everybody has to have a Rolls Royce, right? I was making big money, but I found myself totally empty. I was lonely for much of my time in the NFL."

Gastineau admitted he "went down all the wrong roads" as a player, acknowledging with a laugh that humility never was his strongest quality. That, he said, was Mark Gastineau. Now, he's just Mark, devoting his life to the church.

He's married and lives in New Jersey, and he tries to keep up with the Jets. He believes the current defensive line, led by Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, has more talent than the old Sack Exchange. He wants to see the current group break all the records. He met many of them after practice on the field.

"A humble bunch of guys," he said. "Humbleness won't get you there, but let me tell you something: It's a lot better than not listening to coaches or doing things on your own like I used to do.

"I have a lot of past experiences that I can share with people that aren't the right things to do. Take it from me: I did the wrong things back then. My thing with youth is: It's not about 'I,' it's about the team."

Gastineau is glad to have a team again -- his old team. He loves what the Jets did in the offseason, and he's looking forward to a rebound in 2015.

"People still recognize me and, when they ask me about the Jets, I don't hesitate," he said. "I say, 'I can get excited now.' I say, 'Ask me why?' Because I've got something to be excited about now."