Robert Boudwin, Class of 1997, originated the role of YouDee before launching a decades-long career as the Houston Rockets’ mascot. This fall, he can be seen competing on the new Fox reality show, 99 to Beat.

Exhausting. Bizarre. Amazing.

Article by Artika Casini Photos courtesy of Robert Boudwin September 21, 2025

Alumnus competes in new reality contest, draws upon UD days

Robert Boudwin has raised two sets of twins, run two half-marathons in full mascot regalia, and written a memoir. But competing on reality TV?

“The hardest experience of my life,” the 1997 alumnus admits.

Boudwin joins 99 other contestants seeking to win a million-dollar jackpot on the new reality show, 99 to Beat.

This fall, the Blue Hen makes his primetime debut on 99 to Beat, a new Fox game show in which he and 99 other contestants complete various challenges to win the million-dollar grand prize. The program will debut after Sunday Night Football on Sept. 21 and will air weekly on Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 24. The show has only one rule: You don’t have to finish first or fastest; just don’t be last.

“These games may seem childish, but when you’re playing 16 hours a day, six days a week, there’s an almost Machiavellian level of torture,” Boudwin said, laughing.

His experience stacking hex nuts with a chopstick, robbing a piggybank with a paperclip, and building a multi-story house of cards have led to an enlightenment of sorts: “If you’re getting surgery any time soon, and I’m your doctor, get up and run.”

Mirth comes naturally to the former mascot, who inhabited the first YouDee costume in 1993 and spent more than two decades as Clutch the Bear for the Houston Rockets. His quirky résumé helped cultivate a business mindset (strategy, critical thinking) and physical strength, both of which came in handy for the show.

As YouDee, Boudwin won numerous cheer competitions and was even invited to serve as a mascot instructor for California-based teams.

“Do you use your brains or brawn? Pivot or stay the course?” Boudwin mused of the competition and the larger philosophical takeaway. “It’s a good allegory for life — there’s no one way to do anything. You have to figure out what works for you.”

Sometimes that journey happens by chance — or perhaps by a stroke of Blue Hen luck.

Boudwin fondly recalls meeting cheerleaders at a Dickinson C party and telling them about his stint as the Trojan warrior mascot for Wissahickon High School.

A chance encounter with cheerleaders at Dickinson C led to lifelong memories and a long-lasting career.

“No way,” one of the dormmates replied. “UD is launching a new mascot, and tryouts are tomorrow.”

The following morning, Boudwin walked into a room in the Bob Carpenter Center and was instructed to “act like Delaware is losing, 40-0.” He responded by picking up a nearby desk and pretending to smash it on the ground. He walked out with the job.

YouDee, the mascot, was born Sept. 4, 1993, at UD’s first home football game. As a marketing major, Boudwin would quickly experience a brand launch at the ground level. In his first year, he made more than 250 appearances as the beloved bird, conducting lab research, playing field hockey, “doing every darn thing a university offers.”

Those experiences would propel him onward and upward, into the world of professional sports and within the “exhausting, bizarre, amazing” life of reality TV. Through it all, the Blue Hen remains.

“There’s a lot of pride in the UD experience,” said Boudwin. “No matter where I am in the world, I meet people who went to Delaware, and instantly, we have a shared connection and common North Star. Talking to them feels like home.”