MSU ALUMNUS' DOCUMENTARY TO PREMIERE AT TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL

Bob Apisa, a two-time All-American fullback was apporoached in 2006 by a former teammate to use his Hollywood skills and make a documentary chronicling the "men of Sparta" and MSU's rich football history.

The idea for “Men of Sparta” remained on the back burner until the great Bubba Smith, another College Football Hall of Famer as a two-time All-American defensive end, died at age 66 in 2011. Following the funeral, the old Spartans again gathered, this time at Bubba’s Los Angeles home.

Michigan State’s 1965 and 1966 teams transcended sports, having led the integration of college football in the turbulent 1960s with the Civil Rights movement as background. The ‘Men Of Sparta’ won back-to-back national titles as well as unbeaten and untied Big Ten titles.

‘Men of Sparta’ will premiere on July 31 at the Traverse City Film Festival. Oscar-winning director Michael Moore founded the event in 2005 in the northern Michigan city, where he has a nearby home.