“It took everything in my power to not do the thing that was perceived as right.”
On Thursday, April 24, former Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon saw his lifelong dream come true when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 21st pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
What should have been the happiest night of his life was cut short by heartbreak. Harmon revealed that his mother, Tiffany Saine, couldn’t be there to share the moment because she was in the hospital on life support.
“It was bittersweet,” Harmon said during a media call, according to Yahoo! News. “She worked as hard just as me to get to this moment. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm very excited."
As he became emotional, Harmon added, "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."
Tragically, the day after Harmon saw his and his mom's dreams realized, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac shared on X that Harmon’s mother “passed away shortly after he went to the hospital and got to tell her he had been drafted by the Steelers.”
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 previously told ESPN that his mother had battled health issues for most of his life, enduring eight brain surgeries over the years before suffering a stroke that left her partially 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.
