To say that Derrick Harmon’s draft night was an emotional moment would be an understatement. The joy of officially making the NFL, the 21st overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The heartbreak of his mother on life support at a nearby hospital, passing hours after Harmon told her news he’d been drafted.
Harmon’s night was captured in a video shared by his YouTube channel, recapping the 36 hours leading up to getting the call from Pittsburgh.
His day started like most other likely first-round selections: with a haircut, a new wardrobe, and hanging out with friends and family in his hometown of Detroit. Hats of each NFL team were set out, ready for whoever made him their pick.
Settling in to watch the draft, Harmon received a call around the 19th pick with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were on the board. On the other end was Steelers GM Omar Khan, keeping Harmon on the line as Pittsburgh came on the clock.
“You doing good over there, Derrick?” Khan could be heard on speakerphone. “Stick with us here.”
“Three minutes here,” Khan said shortly after.
Despite trade offers and with six picks, incentive to move down, Pittsburgh was adamant about keeping the 21st overall pick. Harmon was on their shortlist of players they wouldn’t trade away from, the last top defensive lineman on the board. Had he been chosen, the Steelers would’ve pivoted to running back instead.
Then came the final word.
“Alright, you ready to be a Steeler?” Khan asked.
“Yes, sir,” Harmon responded.
In Pittsburgh, the phone was passed to Mike Tomlin, who congratulated Harmon and his family on being selected.
“Yes, sir, I got you, Coach,” he said. “Appreciate you, Coach….I won’t let you down, sir.”
At some point in the call, Harmon said, “I ain’t gonna lie, you told me,” perhaps implying the Steelers had told Harmon they planned to make him their pick if he was available.
Though most players spend the rest of the night celebrating, Harmon let the Steelers know he had to rush to the hospital to be with his mother, Tiffany Saine, on life support after battling health problems for years.
“Man, I gotta go to the hospital right after this,” he said. “It’s tough, it’s tough.”
Shortly after the pick was announced on television, Harmon rushed out of the room. Emotional, he thought of his mother.
“You’re supposed to be here,” he said through tears.
Harmon made it to the hospital, told his mother the news, and she passed away later that night.
The next morning, he made his way to Pittsburgh to meet with Omar Khan, Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin, and other members of the Steelers’ staff. Out of consideration for his mother and the difficult situation, Harmon has yet to hold his official press conference, although he held a phone interview shortly after being picked.
The end of the video shows a photo of a younger Harmon with his mother. An emotional story that will fuel him on the field his rookie year, Harmon will always have inspiration to keep pushing ahead.
Check out the whole video below.
