The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Derrick Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. But it was a bittersweet night for the former Oregon Ducks defensive lineman.
Harmon’s mother died shortly after she learned her son was a first-round pick, per James Crepea. Here is more about what happened (via The Oregonian):
“Derrick Harmon’s mother, Tiffany Saine, died shortly after the former Oregon defensive tackle was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Harmon said Saine, who had a stroke in 2022 that left her paralyzed on her left side, was on life support Thursday night. She died shortly after Harmon went to the hospital to tell her he was drafted, Saine’s sister confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive.”
The first-round pick was able to tell his mom the news before she died, as confirmed by Gerry Dulac:
Derrick Harmon’s mom, who was on life support, passed away shortly after he went to the hospital and got to tell her he had been drafted by the Steelers.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) April 25, 2025
LIVE NFL DRAFT RESULTS: Keep tabs on all 32 picks made in Thursday’s first round
The defensive lineman was visibly emotional at his draft party when he got the call from the Steelers:
Derrick Harmon was in shock after getting drafted No. 21 overall by the Steelers 🥹 pic.twitter.com/l1YIKpO8Bt
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 25, 2025
ESPN also aired a segment about Harmon’s relationship with his mother during the broadcast:
Derrick Harmon’s journey to becoming the 21st overall pick by the Steelers was driven by the strength of his mom Tiffany ❤️ pic.twitter.com/rN4p5TavQq
— ESPN (@espn) April 25, 2025
Harmon was unable to attend some of his pre-draft workouts so that he could spend more time with his mother, per Tom Pelissero.
Although it is incredibly tragic that Harmon lost a loved one on such an important day in his life, it is also comforting to know she heard his life-changing news before she passed.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Derrick Harmon got to tell his mom he was drafted right before she died
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Derrick Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. But it was a bittersweet night for the former Oregon Ducks defensive lineman.
Harmon’s mother died shortly after she learned her son was a first-round pick, per James Crepea. Here is more about what happened (via The Oregonian):
“Derrick Harmon’s mother, Tiffany Saine, died shortly after the former Oregon defensive tackle was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Harmon said Saine, who had a stroke in 2022 that left her paralyzed on her left side, was on life support Thursday night. She died shortly after Harmon went to the hospital to tell her he was drafted, Saine’s sister confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive.”
The first-round pick was able to tell his mom the news before she died, as confirmed by Gerry Dulac:
Derrick Harmon’s mom, who was on life support, passed away shortly after he went to the hospital and got to tell her he had been drafted by the Steelers.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) April 25, 2025
LIVE NFL DRAFT RESULTS: Keep tabs on all 32 picks made in Thursday’s first round
The defensive lineman was visibly emotional at his draft party when he got the call from the Steelers:
Derrick Harmon was in shock after getting drafted No. 21 overall by the Steelers 🥹 pic.twitter.com/l1YIKpO8Bt
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 25, 2025
ESPN also aired a segment about Harmon’s relationship with his mother during the broadcast:
Derrick Harmon’s journey to becoming the 21st overall pick by the Steelers was driven by the strength of his mom Tiffany ❤️ pic.twitter.com/rN4p5TavQq
— ESPN (@espn) April 25, 2025
Harmon was unable to attend some of his pre-draft workouts so that he could spend more time with his mother, per Tom Pelissero.
Although it is incredibly tragic that Harmon lost a loved one on such an important day in his life, it is also comforting to know she heard his life-changing news before she passed.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Derrick Harmon got to tell his mom he was drafted right before she died