Malik McDowell Went to Gym Hour Before Naked Arrest, Looked Totally Normal

Cleveland Browns star Malik McDowell got all pumped up -- during a fairly uneventful workout at a Florida gym -- shortly before he was arrested for being completely naked in public and attacking a cop.

TMZ Sports obtained surveillance videos recorded Monday at the gym in Deerfield Beach, FL ... where the 6'6", 290 lb. D-lineman is seen walking around, hugging friends and all in all ... just acting completely normal.

People close to McDowell tell us ... after the gym, he walked next door to the hotel where he was staying, and took a shower -- and we're told he never got dressed after that. Instead, he walked out of his room stark naked, started walking down the street and even laid down in the middle of the road, at one point.

He particularly set off a panic because he happened to be near an elementary school, which went into lockdown. When cops arrived on the scene, McDowell allegedly punched a cop several times before he was subdued and taken into custody.

McDowell's demeanor in the gym stands in stark contrast to what happened an hour later ... and seems to point to him having some sort of mental health episode. It's worth noting, Malik suffered serious head trauma in an ATV accident back in 2017 -- which could, obviously, be exacerbated by his NFL career.

Cops have not said anything about McDowell being impaired or under the influence. Broward County Sheriff's Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... "Appropriate tests were conducted. Detectives continue to investigate circumstances surrounding the incident."