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We know the Duggar family for their strict rules, odd courtship guidelines, and many children. And if there’s one Counting On star who fans love following, it’s Jinger Duggar and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo. Jinger’s long been known as one of the more “rebellious” members of the family, as she has her own fashion sense that goes against Jim Bob and Michelle’s rules and she gave her now-husband a full-frontal hug before marriage. And while fans adore her, they also think she and Jeremy make the perfect couple and parents to their daughter, Felicity.

Jeremy’s deep in church life now, but we can’t forget that he was once a professional soccer player. So, why did he quit soccer and move on to ministry? Here’s what he said.

Jeremy Vuolo was a professional soccer player prior to dating Jinger

Many of the Duggars meet their future partners through their father, Jim Bob, or through their church. But Jinger and Jeremy actually met thanks to Jessa Duggar and her husband, Ben Seewald. The two immediately hit it off and were engaged shortly after courting back in June 2016.

By the time Jinger met Jeremy, he was out of the professional soccer world and deep into ministry, but that wasn’t always the case. People reports Jeremy played soccer through high school and college and then moved on to play with Finland’s top soccer league. He then signed on with the New York Red Bulls in 2012 and the San Antonio Scorpions in 2013 and 2014.

During his time playing soccer, it appears he was quite forthright with his religious views as well. He spoke out about his religious views and commitment to Jesus Christ in a video for Athletes in Action, the sports ministry of Cru Ministries.

He said he felt ‘the call to ministry’ after getting signed professionally in sports

Jeremy grew up in a religious household, and he explained how his faith was tested on this blog post once he entered high school and college. “I began getting involved in the weekend party scene.. This continued into college and my sin just continued to spiral my life downward,” he wrote. He then added, “But as my life in the party-scene continued to decline, my performance on the field, as well as the relationships with those around me, also declined. It did not take very long for me to realize that my sin was catching up with me quickly.” And it was then that Jeremy knew he had to make a change.

While Jeremy fulfilled his lifelong dream of playing soccer professionally over the next few years, his love of Christ was beckoning him toward bigger and better things. “My lifelong passion of playing soccer for a living began to dwindle as a burning desire to serve God as a preacher and a pastor was growing,” he wrote on the blog. And he then wrote that by November 2014, he stepped away from professional soccer altogether and was given an opportunity to Laredo, Texas, to oversee a small church. Jeremy then became an ordained pastor at Grace Community Church and made a life in Texas with Jinger.

Today, he’s in California to follow his religious passions

Jeremy and Jinger loved Texas, but Jeremy then had another calling — and this time, it was to California. The two wrote on their blog about their decision to move to Los Angeles back in March. “Through much prayer and counsel, the next step for our family is to relocate to Los Angeles to attend Grace Community Church as Jeremy pursues graduate studies at The Master’s Seminary,” they wrote. And thanks to Jinger and Jeremy’s Instagrams, fans get to see all that they’re doing in California now, too.

Will Jeremy ever go back to professional soccer? While it seems he and Jinger certainly enjoy watching the sport, it seems highly unlikely, as he’s happy with the ministry. As far as Felicity is concerned, however, Jinger keeps alluding that she’ll allow and encourage her daughter to play the sport when she gets a bit older. And we’re sure fans would love to see little Felicity following in her father’s footsteps.

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