Raider-hating is a Kansas City fan thing. It also comes naturally to this Chief

You can take defensive tackle Xaiver Williams out of Kansas City, which occurred when the former Grandview High standout played his first three NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

But you can’t take KC out of Williams, especially when it comes to playing against the Chiefs’ traditional rivals, the Oakland Raiders.

Although he was wearing a cardinal on his helmet in recent seasons in Arizona, Williams said he felt something deeper when he stepping onto the field against Oakland when the Cardinals and Raiders met in a preseason game.

“It was always in the back of my mind a little bit: ‘I just don’t like these guys. I don’t like the black and silver,’” Williams said. “But now being in the red and gold this will bring a whole other dynamic to it.”

He’ll get to experience it in the trenches. Williams,26, signed a two-year, $5 million deal with the Chiefs this offseason to help shore up their run defense. He’ll play inside along with rookie Derrick Nnadi and next to defensive ends Chris Jones and Allen Bailey in the Chiefs’ base defense.

Returning to his hometown was a bonus. He spent the offseason working out in Kansas City, and he has run into friends and family during the first week of training camp at Missouri Western.

“I’ll see them in them in the crowd after practice (when I’m) signing (autographs) — people I went to high school with, and some people I grew up with, have showed up,” Williams said.

Williams has also run into friends who played football with his brother, Rodrick, who won a national championship at Northwest Missouri State, a rival of Missouri Western.

Some of Williams’ earliest sports memories are cheering for the Chiefs. Derrick Thomas is his all-time favorite. He loved the teams of Priest Holmes, Dante Hall and Tony Gonzalez.

The first game he remembers attending at Arrowhead Stadium was against, who else? The Raiders.

He can’t say with certainty who won the game. Neither team was a contender that day, but Williams clearly recalls the charge in Arrowhead.

“I remember the atmosphere itself,” Williams said. “I don’t think either team was having a very good year but I know when that game came around, nobody cared. It was cranked up to the max. A great atmosphere to be in.”

Now he’ll get to be part of those battles during the regular season.

The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers also have their place on Williams’ rivalry scale. But to many fans, and to Williams, games against the Raiders stir something extra.

“Now we can really allow the emotion to roll up and flow out of you,” Williams said.

This story was originally published July 30, 2018 at 2:16 PM.