The offensive lineman is approaching the Bengals game with a smile after 8 years in Cincinnati.
When the Ravens signed offensive guard Bobbie Williams in June, he quickly circled one game on his calendar.
Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals.
"I've definitely been looking forward to this one since I got here in Baltimore," said Williams, who spent the last eight years with the Bengals.
Williams, 36, said he isn't going into the Week 1 matchup with any animosity towards his old team.
"I look at it with a smile on my face and I'll just let all actions speak for themselves," Williams said with a big grin. "There's no need to get into a lot of words. That never really does anything. I just let actions and play speak and have a light heart and a smile on my face all the way through."
Coming over to the Baltimore sidelines and getting cheered instead of booed by the fans at M&T Bank Stadium will be new for Williams. And lining up with Ray Lewis and Haloti Ngata on his side – rather than in his face – will be a welcomed change of pace.
"It's very strange but it's unique and it's happened for a reason and I'm looking forward to this," Williams said.
His former coach, Marvin Lewis, was complimentary about Williams' time with the Bengals. During his eight years in Cincinnati, Williams started 134 games and was regarded as one of the leaders of the locker room.
"Bobbie has been a great, obviously, a great work horse here as one of the leaders, one of the lieutenants," Lewis said Wednesday."[I'm] happy he's been able to continue to play and nobody has anything but great things to say about Bobbie."
Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh has seen the same kind of leadership from Williams during his short time in Baltimore.
"Bobbie is a special guy," Harbaugh said. "It's good to have him on our side. Bobbie is just great to be around every single day."
The veteran lineman has been in competition with rookie second-round pick Kelechi Osemele for the starting left guard job and it's unclear who will get the nod Monday. Both players have started games during the preseason and Williams is currently listed as the starter on the depth chart.
Harbaugh said that he did not want to reveal the starting lineup, and Williams said that he's confident with whatever groups ends up on the field.
"No matter who's out there, we will be together and that's the unique thing that [Offensive Line Coach Andy Moeller] has done," Williams said. "We're here to play, plain and simple."
