Joplin Tornado Victims Get Visit From Chiefs, Rams

Victims of the tornado in Joplin, Mo. got a visit from the state's two NFL teams last week.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, whose family narrowly survived the Northridge earthquake in California in 1994, joined fellow teammates and St. Louis Rams as they brought water and other supplies to those in need.

"We may be in a work stoppage, but we're not in a life stoppage,'' Chiefs GM Scott Pioli said. "This has given me a prime example of everything I was told this community was all about when I came here a couple of years ago.''

Pioli also told Sports Illustrated that his team was pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of support from the rest of the community.

"This girl graduated from high school last, and she brings us all of her graduation money,'' Pioli said. "She says, 'They need it a lot more than I do.' People of modest means pulling up and pulling a case of water out of their trunk. This guy who'd just lost his job that day comes and brings us water, and the next day he comes back in the morning and says, 'Can I volunteer? I don't have a job now.' Three kids sold lemonade in their neighborhood and brought all the money. It's making me cry again, just thinking about it all.''

The Chiefs sent six trailer loads of bottled water to Joplin, along with $35,000 from the team. The Rams pitched in $25,000 as well.

WATCH Footage of the tornado's destruction: