Chris Johnson on drive-by shooting: 'It easily could have been me' who was killed

Four months after suffering a gunshot wound to the shoulder during a deadly drive-by shooting, free-agent running back Chris Johnson is determined to return to the NFL.

Johnson and two others were on their way to a music studio in Orlando during the early hours of March 8 when their vehicle came under fire. The driver, 28-year-old Dreekius Oricko Johnson, was pronounced dead at the scene.

"It was a life-changing experience," Johnson told Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. "It showed you how to enjoy life and how to enjoy every day waking up. Because just as easily as it was one of my best friends that was sitting right next to me – the one that got killed – it easily could have been me. So these days, I'm just enjoying life and making sure I enjoy each day."

The time Johnson spent recovering also helped him to focus on what's truly important to him.

"That gave me motivation and gave me something to look forward to – and that's football," he said.

Johnson, who became a free agent in February after the New York Jets declined to pick up his option, expects interest in his services to start picking up soon.

"Right now is kind of a dead period, but things should pick back up when (camps start)," Johnson said. "I've just been working hard, getting back healthy, getting in shape. Now it's just waiting and working out and seeing what my next situation is going to be."