Derrick Harmon, the Steelers’ first-round pick, lost his mother the night he was drafted

Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, who was the Steelers’ first-round pick and the 21st overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft, faced a heartbreaking loss the night he was drafted: his mother, Tiffany Saine, passed away on April 24. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Harmon played the first three seasons of his college football career at Michigan State before transferring to the University of Oregon for the 2024 season, a move that was not easy for him because of his mother’s ongoing health battles.

“It was very hard leaving and going to Oregon,” Harmon continued. “It was probably the hardest decision I had to make.”

Throughout his life, his mother dealt with health battles. “It was kind of hard but it was something that we were used to,” he added, sharing that Saine had undergone “about eight brain surgeries” when he was growing up. The night he was selected in the NFL Draft, Harmon’s mother was in the hospital on life support.

“That was a little bittersweet because she worked as hard just as me to get to this moment,” Harmon said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’m very excited.”

Derrick Harmon with his mother during his childhood. Derrick Harmon/Instagram

Harmon planned to visit his mother in the hospital after the media call. “I’m going to head straight to the hospital and tell her that her son got drafted,” he said, per the media. Derrick Harmon told his mother, Tiffany Saine, that he was drafted into the NFL. Soon after visiting her in the hospital, she passed away.

Congratulations to the Steelers’ rookie, and we send our heartfelt condolences to Harmon and his family during this time.

Have you ever experienced a career win alongside a hardship or loss? If so, how did you manage it?

Photo: Justin Casterline/Getty