What it’s like to get up-close-and personal with the NFL’s biggest stars, according to a photographer who has shot them in action

Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesGetty Images photographer Maddie Meyer took this photograph on the sidelines of a Broncos game.

NFL games are a huge adrenaline rush, whether you’re watching them at the stadium, at a sports bar, or in the comfort of your own living room.

Thousands of people get to watch from the stands, and generally millions of people are tuning in on TV, but only a handful get to experience all the action from the sidelines.

One of those special few is Getty Images photographer Maddie Meyer, who has photographed more than 30 NFL games.

She started in 2013 as an intern for Getty Images, photographing a season for the Jets and the Giants — and in 2015 spent an entire season photographing the New England Patriots.

We spoke with Meyer about her up-close-and-personal experience with NFL stars, and how her access gets her closer to the tense emotions.