10/28 — The Justin Miller smile was back inside the Jets’ locker room today.

“It feels good to get a chance to get back out there with a lot of the guys I started with when I first entered the league,” Miller said after walking into the room with veteran wideout Jerricho Cotchery.

Always well-liked, Miller said he received a warm welcome from his teammates and that they were “laughing, joking and having fun.” Funny thing is when the Jets and the Raiders — the only two NFL clubs Miller has played for — faced off Sunday, Miller was in New York and he couldn’t bear to watch it.

“I was just trying to staying away from it,” he said. “I flew in town Friday and was going to be in town for a week to check on my house on Long Island. Then I got the call Monday morning.”

Miller took that phone call from his agent because the Jets were in need of a kick returner after losing Leon Washington to a broken fibula in the first quarter of the Jets’ 38-0 win out in Oaktown.

“I wish the best for Leon. I’ve know Leon probably eight years now, I’ve known him through college. My best friend in college, he and Leon grew up together," said Miller. "So I’ve know Leon a long time."

Miller, a second-round pick of the Jets in 2005, attended Clemson while Washington, a fourth-round pick of New York's AFC representative a year later, was an ACC terror at Florida State. After Miller led the AFC with a 30.1-yard average and two TDs on kickoff returns, he went to the Pro Bowl. But he suffered a right knee injury early the following year and the vacated returner's job went to Washington.

“It’s always tough when you go through a serious injury like that. I know when I got injured, Leon came in and took over the spot,” Miller said. “He was there for me, he always checked on me to see how I was doing and that’s something you can do. You can offer you support and try to help him through the process.”

The Jets will plug in Miller as their No. 1 kickoff returner immediately, but he won’t play defense against the Dolphins and Rex Ryan didn’t commit to him playing defensively.

“He looked pretty decent returning kicks. I know he's got a great history with Mike Westhoff and most of the guys know him,” Ryan said. “He should jump right in and help us as a returner.”

Miller is excited about his reunion with Westhoff, one of the top special teams coordinators in NFL history.

“I love Mike. I miss Mike,” Miller said. “I always get him laughing with a joke but Mike is going to push you to be the best. That’s all you can ask for.”

If the Jets are on the receiving end of Sunday’s opening kickoff against the Dolphins, Miller will be home again.

“I think there will be all sorts of excitement, all sorts of nervousness. I was just nervous going out there today on my first day [of practice]," he said. "It’s just the fact of being back there and I started smiling when my agent called me.”