The Jets community got some bad news this week as legendary defensive end Mark Gastineau revealed he had surgery for stage 3 colon cancer and is undergoing eight rounds of chemotherapy with six weeks of radiation.

Gastineau, 62, shared his story with Action News on 6abc and urged fans to get screened after he himself waited. He and his wife, Jo Ann, are teaming up with Get Your Rear in Gear events in Philadelphia (where the couple lives) to help raise awareness about colon cancer.

“If you don’t get screened, you’re never going to know and it could be too late,” Gastineau said. “We want to raise awareness.”

Gastineau played a key part in the Jets’ New York Sack Exchange quartet of pass rushers. He, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam harrassed opposing quarterbacks throughout 1980s. The group recorded a combined 66 sacks in 1981, with Gastineau accounting for 20.

In 10 seasons in New York, Gastineau set a Jets record with 107.5 career sacks (though sacks weren’t counted as an official state until 1982). He also made the Pro Bowl in five straight seasons and won NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The Jets inducted Gastineau into their Ring of Honor in 2012.

Only two years ago, in 2017, Gastineau revealed he was suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. He told The New York Daily News that he believes the diagnoses can be traced back to his tackling style when he played football.