Cardinals running back Chris Johnson accepts his Ed Block Courage Award in Baltimore on March 12.

Chris Johnson didn't join the Cardinals until training camp last year, but he made an impact on his teammates after arriving.

The veteran running back was named the team's Ed Block Courage Award winner for 2015, an honor which recognizes players who "exemplify commitments to the principles of sportsmanship and courage." Each team's recipient is chosen in a vote by their teammates, and Johnson accepted his award earlier this month in Baltimore.

Johnson was shot in the shoulder last March in a drive-by that left his friend, 28-year-old Dreekius Johnson, dead. Johnson said he wasn't sure if he would ever play football again after the incident, but the Cardinals signed him in mid-August.

"With everything I went through, I'm just happy to be back playing football on Sundays," Johnson said after he was signed. "It changes how you look at life."

Johnson went on to rush for 814 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games before suffering a small fracture to his tibia that shelved him the rest of the season. Johnson was fourth in the NFL in rushing at the time of the injury. He recently re-signed with the Cardinals on a one-year contract.

The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation supports the well-being of abused, neglected, and at-risk children.

Johnson follows safety Tyrann Mathieu as the team's award-winner. Other Cardinals who have been given the Ed Block Courage Award include safety Rashad Johnson, defensive end Bertrand Berry, quarterback Kurt Warner, wide receiver Anquan Boldin and many more.