Derrick Harmon’s mom died moments after he was drafted 21st overall by Steelers

On Thursday, April 24, former Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon saw his dreams of playing in the NFL come true.

With the 21st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Harmon was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The moment was one that should have brought unfettered happiness, but for Harmon, it was followed by unimaginable pain.

According to Yahoo! News, Harmon revealed that his mom couldn’t be by his side that night because she was in a hospital on life support.

“So that was a little bittersweet because she worked as hard just as me to get to this moment,” Harmon shared on a media call. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’m very excited.”

Harmon got emotional as he continued. “After I get off the phone with you guys, I’m going to head straight to the hospital and tell her that her son got drafted.”

The day after Harmon was drafted by the Steelers, a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter, Gerry Dulac, took to X to report that Harmon’s mom, Tiffany Saine, “passed away shortly after he went to the hospital and got to tell her he had been drafted by the Steelers.”

Harmon told ESPN that his mom dealt with health issues for most of his life, undergoing about eight brain surgeries before she suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side.

He said his mom is the “reason why” he’s where he is today, adding that she did “everything for me to get to this point,” calling his mom his “rock” and his “why,” saying she “means everything” to him.

“I love you mom, everything I do is for you and I’m forever grateful,” he told ESPN.

This story was originally published April 27, 2025 at 3:01 PM.