Before he rose to reality fame by courting Jinger Duggar, Jeremy Vuolo traveled a rather unique career path.
After getting his start as a pro soccer player, Vuolo pursued a career as a preacher.
However, there’s some disagreement as to how this change in professions came to pass.
Prior to Jinger and Jeremy’s wedding, the Duggars posted a bio of Vuolo on their official blog, and they’ve been accused of exaggerating his success in both of his career fields.
The official Duggar description holds that Jeremy was an all-star goalkeeper in the North American Soccer League, but he quit when he heard the call to join the ministry.
For obvious reasons, it’s a story that’s endeared him to the show’s pious fans base.
Unfortunately, it’s also largely fabricated.
It’s true that Jeremy was a soccer standout first at Hartwick College, then at Syracuse University.
After college he signed with the Finnish club AC Oulu, where he recorded 24 starts.
He eventually returned to the States, and won a spot on the roster of the Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls, but was released before playing a single game.
In tryouts, his play was impressive enough to earn him a spot in the eight-team NASL, which is no mean feat.
However, by all accounts he played consistently, but unremarkably, during his time with the the San Antonio Scorpions, where he served as a backup goalie.
Jeremy was released from the team in 2013, during which time he tried his hand at preaching for the first time.
In 2014, he was given another shot at soccer stardom, but was once again released before ever taking the field.
All of this is not to disparage Vuolo’s skills on the field, as going pro in any sport is an impressive accomplishment.
However, soccer isn’t quite as popular in the US as it is in other nations, and as a result, most players aren’t paid very well.
The largest contract Jeremy signed was for $ 44,000, but as he never completed a full season, he never received that full amount.
But what about Jeremy’s second career as a preacher?
Well, for obvious reasons, there are no definitive numbers on Jeremy’s earnings after he left the NASL, but we think it’s safe to say Jim Bob Duggar’s concerns about Vuolo’s ability to provide for Jinger were well-founded.
It seems that like the other men who have married into the Duggar family, Jeremy didn’t start earning the big bucks until he became a member of one of TV’s most famous (and infamous) clans.
While there’s obviously no shame in the fact that Jeremy didn’t get rich before marrying Jinger, it’s somewhat curious that the Duggars seemed intent on giving fans the impression that he had.
Watch Counting On online to watch the Duggars play humble while raking in the dough.
