UPDATE (6:09 PM): Pittsburgh Steelers Team President and Owner Art Rooney II has issued a statement on the death of Derrick Harmon’s mother.
“On behalf of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers’ organization, I extend our deepest condolences to Derrick Harmon and his family during this difficult time,” the statement reads in part.
Our original story is below.
After receiving the call from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the first thing defensive lineman Derrick Harmon did was go to the hospital and tell his mother. Tiffany Saine was on life support as Harmon shared the news. And according to the PPG’s Gerry Dulac, Tiffany passed away shortly after Harmon arrived.
Speaking to reporters following the pick, an emotional Harmon shared the news of his mother’s condition. The two have always shared a close bond and their relationship was one reason why he stayed local as a blue-chip recruit, a Detroit native who picked Michigan State over schools from across the country. During Harmon’s freshman season, his mother suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed on one side.
Harmon used a portion of his NIL money to buy her a wheelchair-accessible van.
In 2024, the Big Ten Network produced a feature piece on the two, highlighting their close bond.
“She’s my everything,” he said in the piece, noting that his mother had undergone approximately eight brain surgeries since her stroke.
He made the self-admitted difficult decision to leave home for 2024, transferring to Oregon in order to maximize his football opportunity. Harmon had a breakout season with the Ducks, setting career highs in every major category and parlaying that into becoming the Steelers’ first-round pick Thursday night. ESPN briefly highlighted Harmon and his mother in its post-pick reaction.
“That’s my rock, that’s my why,” he said in the ESPN profile.
Hours before the pick, Harmon shared a photo of him and his mother, honoring her prior to the draft beginning.
It makes the last 24 hours bittersweet. A dream realized of being drafted followed by the pain of a devastating loss. Harmon will play his rookie season and all the others with a heavy heart. But based on all the reporting and those who have spoken about his high character, it’s clear his mother raised him well.
