I always wished I had a chance to meet an NFL player or even a college player when I was growing up in Los Angeles.
How can you defy fear? Fear is a human instinct, just like hunger. Whether you like it or not, you become hungry. Similarly with fear. But I have learned to train myself to live with this fear.
It's like why people read scary books or go see scary movies. Because it creates a distance. They're scared, but they're not going to get hurt.