Bobbie Williams is entering into his 12th year as an offensive lineman in the NFL and his eighth year as an offensive lineman for the Cincinnati Bengals. When the Bengals cleaned house in the offseason, getting rid of Chad Ochocinco and allowed Carson Palmer to walk out the door, they made Williams the most veteran player on the team. However, that fact or Williams' 11 years in the league, has not quenched his thirst for the game.
On Friday, Williams is going to be going head-to-head against one of the best young defensive linemen in the NFL, Ndamukong Suh. He's not nervous about it and he's not looking to get it over with. Williams is excited to go up against the best because he wants to see how he measures up.
"Tough? It's an excellent way to start if you ask me," Williams said. "What better measuring rod is there by going up against one of the premier defensive tackles in the game? That's what a man would want. He plays hard, he has good hands, he plays with good leverage. Yes, I would say it is power vs. power."
Last year, Suh barely beat out Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap in a rookie sack race. Suh had 10, Dunlap had 9.5 and Suh was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. There is no doubt that the 6-4, 310-pound Suh is one of the best of the best defensive linemen in the league and it's very refreshing to see a 12-year veteran offensive lineman chomping at the bit to get his hands on him.
If Williams can keep Suh at bay, and I think we all believe he can, he'll have held one of the best back before the season even begins. It's not like Williams really needs a confidence booster, but if he does, this is where he can get it.
Williams vs. Suh is just one of the exciting battles, including position battles, that we can watch on Friday. Welcome back football.