A trio of NFL players joined with a group of local athletes to help clean up a strip mall in downtown Tampa Bay that was damaged by a group of violent protesters over the weekend.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III, who grew up in Tampa Bay and still lives in the area, sent a text message to his friend, Cadi Molina, and suggested they go out and help with the clean-up.

“We just kind of did it,” Molina told WTSP. “It was kind of funny… we walked right past the yellow tape and the [Hillsborough County] Sheriff Chad [Chronister] was out there. We didn't get bothered by nobody. People saw us out there. They didn’t bother us. They helped out.”

More than two dozen volunteers showed up, including Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Auden Tate and Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.

WTSP reporter Grace Remington shared a video on Twitter of the group moving large pieces of debris and sorting them into three piles for city workers.

Working together, the group managed to clean up the area in about 45 minutes.

Photo: YouTube/WTSP

The Central Valley Sports Show

FOX Sports AM 1280 · Stockton's Only Sports Station

Listen Now on iHeartRadio