Grand Valley State Laker football fans love their team, and after their hot 5-1 start to the 2017 season, it’s not hard to see why.

Major contributors on the offensive side of the ball have been running backs Marty Carter, a junior, and sophomore Bryce Young-Walls. The duo have a combined 123 rushes for 1,002 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season, along with contributions in the passing game and on special teams.

The two met with Lanthorn football reporter Brady McAtamney after practice to showcase their personalities and relationship with each other, as well as to discuss movies, Madden and nicknames.

Brady McAtamney: For starters, what made you guys come to Grand Valley?

Bryce Young-Walls: The tradition. When I took my visit, I fell in love with the atmosphere and the campus. Also, the coaches were very straightforward with me and the recruiting process. There’s a lot of shady stuff that goes on, but I could tell with Coach Ginn he was a very straightforward guy.

Marty Carter: It’s pretty much the same thing for me. The tradition, really the brotherhood. When I came in, Coach Ginn was my recruiting coach, too, and he really brought me in.

BM: So this one is pretty relevant with the long road trip (to Truman State) coming up: if you could only pick three movies to watch on road trips, on the bus, which three would you pick?

BYW: I’m watching “Friday,” that’s one of them. Definitely going to watch “Don’t Be a Menace.” Let me see my third one … that’s hard. Probably “Baby Boy.”

MC: I’m watching “All About the Benjamins,” “Money Talks,” uh … “Bad Santa?” 

BM: What are some of the songs that get you the most hype, some of the songs that are on your pre-game playlist?

BYW: I listen to (rapper) G Herbo.

MC: Yeah, we’ve got the same favorite artist, so we both listen to G Herbo.

BYW: I listen to everything. I’m pretty versatile with the music. Like the night before when I’m relaxing to keep my anxiety down, I’ll play some Drake, some slow music. Bryson Tiller. Slow it down a little bit.

MC: I’m more of an R&B type guy. I don’t really know too many mellow songs. “Return of the Mack,” it’s on one of those Just Dance games. I forgot his name. Brian McKnight, I like to listen to him, too.

BM: This was something that came up when I was talking to Brandon Bean: do you guys like playing video games?

MC: Yeah, for sure. I do.

BYW: Yeah, he does, but I don’t like to play a lot of games. I sold my game system my freshman year of college because I figure it was going to stagger me from having good grades and stuff.

BM: So if you guys were going to play in Madden or (NBA) 2K, would Marty win?

BYW: Nah, I’m still going to beat him. I’m competitive.

MC: But I won last time we played in Madden.

BM: Which teams do you take in Madden?

MC: I’m going to play with the Patriots. That’s my team, man.

BYM: Yeah, he likes the Patriots. He likes (Ezekiel Elliott), too, though. I play with the Steelers, though. That’s my favorite team. Terrible towels.

BM: You guys have probably heard this next one before: if you were going to be stranded on a desert island and you can only bring one teammate with, who would you bring and why?

BYW: I ain’t just saying this because he’s here either, but I’m going to say Marty Carter. Just because of the sense of humor, we might be on a desert, but we’ll mess around and forget that you’re on a desert and having fun. And he’s got some edge to him, so when we’ve got to eat, I know I’ve got somebody that will attack something and get some food for the night.

MC: Same, man. I’m taking Bryce. If anything goes wrong I know he’s not just going to leave me there. Just move on with it. We’ve got each other’s backs. If we get stranded, I know it’ll be fun, a little bit of ups and downs, but it’s still going to bring us closer I feel like.

BM: So you both picked each other for your island partner; what kind of bond do you guys have?

BYW: Ever since I came in, he’s been open with me, and we kind of clicked. Helping each other with little things around the football, sitting on the side of the football center, so you know you’ve got someone who’s got your back. This is your “home away from home,” and this is your guy who’s got your back. It’s always good having a solid foundation. I look to him to have my back, and I know that he knows I’ve got his back, too.

MC: Since I came here, he wasn’t here when I first got here, but when he got here, I just know we clicked right then and there, right off top. It didn’t take much, no arguments, no sit-down talk for us. We just clicked, so I knew then we were going to be straight right from then. It doesn’t take much; we just like to be around each other. Time is time.

BM: Say you’ve got a weekend off, what are you going to do with it? Relax, go out or what do you like to do?

BYW: I’m a homebody, so the first couple days I’m going to spend in the house because I don’t have time to just rest. I’ll probably get some laundry done, clean around the house. When I’ve got a clean house I’m just feeling the best. And then after that I’d probably go party, walk around campus a little bit, try to find something to get into. I wouldn’t be doing anything too special outside of that, though. Just staying in Allendale.

MC: Me neither. I’d just stay at home, too. I just sit at home, play the games, do a little bit of laundry, too. I’d just really sit at home and play some games. I just stay out of some areas of the house so I don’t have to clean it up, so I’d just sit in my room and watch TV all day and play games.

BM: You mention TV, what are some favorite TV shows of yours?

BYW: I watch “Game of Thrones”; that’s one of my favorites. Also “Stranger Things.” I just picked that up. There’s another season that’s coming out, so I watched that on Netflix. A show called “Ozark” that’s on Netflix. I’ve got a lot of different shows that I tune into.

MC: One show that I just tuned into that was kind of funny, some straight-funny episodes, was “16 and Pregnant.” That’s kind of funny to me because this girl got pregnant, and both of their parents just flipped out on both of them, and they both got kicked out of the crib. As their days went on, it just got funnier and funnier. You just have to watch the episode; it was funny.

BM: I don’t know about “16 and Pregnant,” but what’s your relationship with Marty’s kids?

BYW: My little nephews, I guess. You could say they’re like my nephew. When he comes around after every game, he’ll come into the locker room like we’re familiar faces and stuff now. I’ll be over at his apartment and see him when he’s back. Whenever I see him, we’ll throw the ball with each other, and he’ll go run and chase them. We’ll run around the house and act a fool. We just entertain him, give him somebody else to look up to, positive influences.

MC: Yeah, and when he has his kid, they’re going to come around call me Uncle Get-back. “Get back! Get back! Stop doing all that bad stuff!”

Carter, Young-Walls and the rest of the Lakers play their next game Saturday, Oct. 14. at Truman State. The game is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m.