After Green Bay’s B.J. Raji picked off Chicago quarterback Caleb Hanie in the NFC Championship and cruised into the end zone from 18 yards out, he performed ... well, it wasn’t quite something out of Chad Ochocinco’s book, but it was pretty close.

Let’s just say his touchdown dance was more Michael Strahan than Michael Flatley.

“Hip movement, hip fluidity,” Raji said when asked on Super Bowl Media Day about the secret to his dance. “Just having fun with it, pretty much.”

It was a rare turn in the spotlight for the former Boston College star, who has been known more for his run-stuffing abilities than his dancing skills since he arrived in Green Bay as the ninth overall pick in the 2009 draft. While he was considered one of the best young defensive linemen in the game, his highlights weren’t usually the stuff of “SportsCenter.”

But dancing? Well, that’s another matter entirely. Raji’s celebration has become something of an Internet sensation, as the video for “Teach Me How To Raji” had roughly 32,500 views on YouTube as of Tuesday night.

“Especially at [the defensive lineman position], a lot of guys don’t get a lot of exposure,” Raji said of the notoriety that has comes from the impromptu dance. “It was a good play, a timely play. We needed it, but it was not the play that won the game. One play does not win the game, but it was a big play for us.”

But Raji is much more than a dancer. The 337-pound nose tackle, who started all 16 regular-season games this year for the Packers, is the centerpiece of the No. 2 ranked scoring defense in the NFL. He’s also regarding as one of the best pass-rushing nose tackles in the league, with 6.5 sacks (third on the team) to prove it.

“[Raji] is real explosive,” teammate Cullen Jenkins told the Green Bay Press-Gazette recently. “You look at him and he’s not the tallest (and he doesn’t have) the longest arms, but what he does have is a lot of power. And he’s so quick. Anytime he makes up his mind about where he wants to go, there’s not too many people that can stop him and get in his way.”

Raji could find himself at the heart of one of the key positional battles of Super Bowl XLV. With Pittsburgh Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey a question mark because of a bad ankle, Raji could be going against backup Doug Legursky, clearly a matchup that favors the Packers. If Raji can play his game, it would certainly go a long way toward a Green Bay victory.

However, Raji knows he’s going to get everything Legursky can offer.

“Let me get one thing straight — I know that Pouncey is not playing, but the guy that is behind him is no slouch — he is a pretty good player,” Raji said. “He is physical — I watched some snaps of his when he was at guard. He is very physical and finishes to the whistle.

“That is what I give these guys credit for — they are not going to just let you get off blocks — you are going to have to tear off blocks. To think that (anyone is) underestimating him or that he’s not a good player would be a sad mistake.”

The son of two Pentecostal ministers, it’s been a relatively quick ride from the Heights to the cusp of Super Bowl glory for Raji. He sat out the 2007 season because of academic issues, but was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection for BC in 2008, when he became the first Boston College defensive tackle to lead his team in sacks (eight) in 23 years. A three-year starter for the Eagles, he posted 105 tackles (59 solo), 12½ sacks, 32½ tackles for loss and nine passes defensed during his career, with nearly one-third of his tackles (32½ of 105, 31 percent) behind the line of scrimmage.

While at Boston College, he spent a lot of time watching Vince Wilfork, whom Raji considers one of the elite nose tackles in the league.

“I like him and have been watching him since I was in college,” Raji said of Wilfork. “That guy, as big and strong as he is and as athletic as he is – he actually is very effective on third downs and in pass rush. Casey (Hampton), because of the Super Bowl rings that he has won – he is the staple of that defense in the middle. Anytime you win Super Bowls with the same team and you are a significant part of it, you’d have to be considered elite.”

While Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has called Raji the key to Green Bay’s 3-4 scheme, Raji doesn’t believe he’s at that elite level. Not yet, anyway.

“I am nowhere near elite status,” Raji said. “This is my first year starting — there is no reason to put myself in elite status. I feel like I’m a good player. I like my ability and I like what I bring to the table, but you have to put in more years to be considered an elite player at this level.”

He was certainly elite when it mattered in the NFC Championship Game against the Bears. In the fourth quarter, Green Bay was holding onto a 14-7 lead as Chicago began a drive deep in its down end. Hanie dropped back to pass, and the big fella dropped into coverage as defensive back Sam Shields came on a blitz. Eyeing the pressure, Hanie looked for running back Matt Forte on a quick pass, but Raji stepped in front of the pass and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. The touchdown was the difference in a 21-14 Green Bay win.

“I kind of play that type of defense to take that underneath route away,” Raji said. “I was just surprised the guy actually threw it to me. Most quarterbacks won’t throw that pass.”

If Roethlisberger decides to do something similar on Sunday, we might see some more dancing from the former BC star.

“If Big Ben Roethlisberger helps me out, will I be ready to dance again?” asked Raji. “Oh, definitely.”