"In a case that weaves together issues of free speech, professional sports endorsements and the ever-growing use of social media, Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall filed a federal lawsuit Monday against one of his former sponsors.

Mendenhall was hired as an endorser for Champion brand sports apparel in 2008. However, his contract was terminated by Champion's parent company, Hanesbrands Inc., in May after he made controversial comments on Twitter regarding the death of Osama bin Laden and the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

He is seeking more than $1 million in damages as part of his breach of contract lawsuit filed in Winston-Salem, N.C., home of Hanesbrands. A spokesman could not be reached for comment.

According to the complaint, Mendenhall began using Twitter in January 2010.

Before his comments of May 2 -- the day after it was announced that bin Laden had been killed by American military personnel -- he claims Hanesbrands never cared about his posts.

"He said lots of things on lots of subjects and Hanes never had a problem with any of them," said Mendenhall's attorney, Steven J. Thompson, in Chicago.

Among the controversial topics Mendenhall previously addressed, he tweeted about Islam, compared the NFL labor situation to modern-day slavery and called women "selfish."

But it was when he posted about bin Laden's death that Hanes responded."