Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah warms up recently before a football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Muslim athletes, including Abdullah, have responded over the past week after Donald Trump proposed a ban on Muslims entering the U.S.

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah isn't worried about facing any hostility over his religious views.

“For the most part people are very respectful,” said Abdullah, who is Muslim. “I don't go outside hoping no one says anything to me about my religion, because that's not living a normal life. I just live a normal life, just going about my day.”

With Donald Trump calling for Muslims to be blocked from coming into the United States — and with fears of terrorism simmering throughout America following the Paris attacks and the shootings in San Bernardino, Calif. — Abdullah and other Muslim athletes in the NBA and NFL expressed hope of continued acceptance. None of the players reported being taunted or confronted by fans because of religion.

Dennis Schroder of the Atlanta Hawks said he's had no problems in his home nation of Germany or in the U.S. Ryan Harris of the Denver Broncos said the controversy is a chance for Muslim athletes to speak out against violence and hate speech.

“We take every opportunity as Muslims to tell people that terrorists are distorting the faith that a billion of us practice peacefully every day,” Harris said. “Whatever Trump has planned or whatever he says, it's playing on a fear that's growing and is negative toward those everyday peaceful Muslims and citizens of the United States. That's why we've got to say something.”

Trump — who is ahead of all other Republican presidential candidates in the polls — proposed preventing Muslims from entering the U.S. “until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.” After President Barack Obama gave a speech mentioning Muslim sports heroes, Trump tweeted: “What sport is he talking about, and who?”

Abdullah said the Trump comments were disappointing.

“When you have someone like him say some things — he has a very large following — it's kind of disappointing from my perspective,” Abdullah said. “I just encourage everyone to educate yourself before you take a stance on something that you may not really know about. It's a very foreign thing for this country. A majority of this country are Christians.”

Schroder says he hasn't noticed any hostility about his faith.