The mother of former Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon died shortly after he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Harmon was taken by the Steelers with the 21st pick. In a news conference after his selection, he told reporters that his mother was on life support and that he was heading to the hospital to tell her he was drafted.
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Harmon said his mother Tiffany Saine had “about eight brain surgeries” while he was growing up, and she had a stroke when he was a freshman at Michigan State. Saine died not long after Harmon went to the hospital to tell her he was drafted, Saine’s sister confirmed to the Oregonian.
Steelers team owner and president Art Rooney II expressed condolences to Harmon and his family Friday in a statement:
Harmon told reporters Thursday night that his draft moment was “bittersweet” because he couldn’t spend the evening with his mother.
Harmon transferred to Oregon for the 2024 season after three years at Michigan State. He was named second-team All-Big Ten and helped the Ducks to a conference championship and No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff. He said before the Rose Bowl that he had used his NIL money at Oregon to buy his mother a car.
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The Steelers liked Harmon enough as a prospect to pass on a quarterback at No. 21 overall. Harmon’s new teammate, Cam Heyward, had somber praise on X Thursday night.