To Tell The Truth premiered on CBS in 1956 and became an instant classic. The game show had three contestants, two of whom were impostors, and one was the real person, known as the central character. Throughout the years, popular sports stars appeared on the show.
Here are nine examples.
Don Drysdale (view video at the end): Appeared on the show in 1959. He had one of his best seasons in 1959 as he was an All-Star, World Series Champion, and was the strikeout leader for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was also a Cy Young Award winner in 1962. He also appeared in other television shows, including You Bet Your Life, The Donna Reed Show, and The Brady Bunch.
George Mikan: Appeared on the show in 1957. Mikan was influential in shaping basketball as a player, coach, and executive. He played for the Minneapolis Lakers before they relocated to Los Angeles. Mikan was a 5-time NBA champion. By the time he appeared on the show, he was a coach for the Minneapolis Lakers.
Courtesy: Land of Boz
Otto Graham: Appeared on the show in 1963. Graham was widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Graham played for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1955, leading the Browns to seven championships. Graham was a three-time NFL Champion and was a 5-time Pro Bowler. By the time he appeared on the show, Graham was a head coach.
Gordie Howe: Appeared on the show in 1967. Nicknamed “Mr. Hockey,” he played most of his career with the Detroit Red Wings. Howe retired in 1971 but returned to the NHL in the 1979-1980 season with the Hartford Whalers. Howe played one game in 1997 for the Detroit Vipers of the IHL. He was 69 years old at the time. By the time he retired, he had played hockey in six different decades (the 1940s through the 1990s).
Tony Conigliaro: Appeared on the show in 1969. Conigliaro played most of his career with the Boston Red Sox in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1967, Conigliaro was hit in the face by a pitch that caused an injury to his eye. It was during that year that the Boston Red Sox played in the World Series, and Conigliaro was an All-Star. By the time his show aired, Conigliaro had made a big comeback in baseball. He hit 20 home runs with 82 RBIs. Conigliaro earned Comeback of the Year honors as well.
Ralph Houk: Appeared on the show in 1959. Best known as Casey Stengel’s successor, Houk played for the Yankees for eight seasons. He played fewer than 100 games as a ballplayer, but was a three-time World Series champion. During the time his show aired, he was Casey Stengel’s first base coach. As his coach, he led the Yankees to win the 1958 World Series. As the manager of the Yankees, he won the World Series in his first two seasons, in 1961 and 1962. Houk later became a manager for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox.
Landry is carried off accompanied by Rayfield Wright (photo, NY Daily News)
Tom Landry: Appeared as an imposter in 1959. Before he coached the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry was a player and coach for the New York Giants in the 1950s. At the time his show aired, he was a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. As the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, he won two Super Bowl championships in 1971 and 1977. Many fans will also remember his trademark hat he wore when coaching the Cowboys.
Stirling Moss: Appeared on the program in 1958. A Formula 1 driver during the 1950s and early 1960s. He was one of the greatest drivers never to win the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship. He captured 16 Formula One Grand Prix victories. Overall, he won 212 races. At the time his show aired, he lost the Formula One World Championship to Mike Hawthorn. After his racing career, Moss became a commentator for ABC’s Wide World of Sports.
Bonus–Joe Garagiola. Garagiola was a panelist and host of “To Tell the Truth” when the show returned to the air in the 1970s. Garagiola’s neighbor and friend was Yogi Berra, who later became fast friends and fierce competitors, and both were MLB catchers. During his rookie season, he led the Cardinals to win the World Series in 1946. He became a broadcaster in the 1960s for NBC, alongside Vin Scully, Curt Gowdy, and Tony Kubek. He was a versatile broadcaster, co-hosting the Today Show with Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs. He also hosted other game shows, including the original Sale of the Century. He also filled in as guest host on The Tonight Show, interviewing John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
