You may have heard of a certain 6-foot-7 transplant from New Orleans who's expected to make an immediate impact on the team this season. Now, meet another: Hope, a former New Orleans Saints cheerleader who's already making a name for herself as a rookie with the Sea Gals.

In the two months since this Southern gal became a Sea Gal, Hope has danced her way on to the squad's show group – a rare accomplishment for a rookie – made the cover of the 2016 Sea Gals calendar, and sailed to Alaska on a cruise ship packed with 12s.

"I've heard stories about Seahawks fans and how intense they are, and it's so true," Hope said. "There's just a different energy about this city. The Seahawks are not just a football team; it's part of the culture here.

"It's really cool because I haven't even been to a game yet and I already feel that sense of camaraderie with those fans."

Behind the photo ops and white boots and MAC lipstick, there's a lot of work that goes into the making of a successful Sea Gal. For a busy rookie like Hope, that means learning the playbook – so to speak – in record time.

"We've been getting ready for the season, so practices have been really intense, and we just started show group practices again," Hope said. "I feel like my brain is on fire from learning so much, but it's so rewarding. My life has changed so much in just a couple months, and the best part hasn't even started yet."

That would be when Hope steps on the field at CenturyLink for the first time. She tends to get the hiccups when she's nervous, but not to worry – she's practicing for those game day jitters, too.

"Some of the girls joke around and try to scare me if we're at practice and things are getting kind of intense," she said. "[Sea Gal] Brittany does that a lot – she tries to scare me out of my hiccups. It works!"

And even though she's new to CenturyLink, there will be at least one familiar face on the field: Jimmy Graham, whom she cheered on in New Orleans.

"It's kind of like [having] a little piece of home with me," Hope said. "It's cool to know that the players transition from team to team as well, just like we do sometimes."

So what can Seahawks fans expect from Graham this season?

"Greatness. In one word."