RALEIGH, N.C. — A former Leesville Road High School football player made the jump from sports to culinary in 2020 and today runs a juice business in Raleigh.

What You Need To Know

  • Blue Faces Juice is in reference to the $100 bill, and the company's slogan is “health is wealth so invest in yourself”

  • All produce used in the juices is organic and from local farmers

  • Devin Williamson graduated from Leesville Road High School in 2013

Devin Williamson dreamed of making it to the NFL. After playing at Leesville Road in Raleigh, he went on to play at Tusculum University. In his redshirt junior year of college, he suffered a right Achilles tear that ended his football career.

But that led him to a new passion.

Williamson says nutrition was always important to him.

“I was somebody who was always big on, you know, what I’m placing in my body, the amount of sleep I get and just trying to find a healthy lifestyle to balance,” he said.

His motto is “health is wealth and invest in yourself,” and he learned the hard way that drinking a gallon of water a day was not the best way to properly hydrate.

He said many times during games or practice he would still cramp up. He realized that just drinking water he wasn’t getting the electrolytes or nitrites his body needed to keep him going at his level.

That’s why he uses organic fruits and vegetables in his juices.

“We literally just use fruits and vegetables, we don’t add in any water or sugar,” Williamson said.

Williamson saw a lack of juice providers in Raleigh and wanted to fill that niche. That’s when he founded his company, Blue Faces Juice.

He saved up for a cold presser and now has a commercial kitchen with some of the best equipment for juicing. 

“Trying to educate and teach people why it's best to have organic products for your body, it's almost a natural medicine that a lot of us as humans kind of overlook on a daily basis, versus, when this is actually what our body is craving,” Williamson said.

His produce comes from local growers — he said he does this because “it's always good to just, you know, be close-knit with the people in your community and it also just shows people exactly where their produce is coming from.”

Williamson’s business is growing and he now produces nine juices, a variety of immunity shots, nondairy milks and purified alkaline water.

Blue Faces Juice is made to order for delivery, and Williamson is looking to expand across the state.

More information can be found on his website or his Instagram, @bluefacesjuice.