The night Derrick Harmon achieved his NFL dream turned bittersweet when tragedy struck.

Shortly after Harmon was selected 21st overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2025 NFL Draft, his mother, Tiffany Saine, passed away in a Michigan hospital. Saine, who suffered a debilitating stroke in 2022 that left her paralyzed on her left side, had been on life support as her son learned of his football future surrounded by family in Detroit.

“It was a little bittersweet,” Harmon said emotionally during a call with Pittsburgh media Thursday night. “My mom wasn’t with me, she’s at the hospital right now on life support. After I get off the phone with you guys, I’m going to head straight to the hospital and tell her her son got drafted.”

Harmon was able to visit his mother after the draft celebration, but she passed away shortly thereafter.

The Pittsburgh Steelers offered public support in the wake of the heartbreaking news. “On behalf of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization, I extend our deepest condolences to Derrick Harmon and his family during this difficult time,” team president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “Though we are excited to select Derrick in the first round of the NFL Draft, our hearts are heavy as we mourn the death of his mother, Tiffany Saine. We will support Derrick and his family however we can as he navigates this period of grief.”

Faith, family, and resilience have been major themes throughout Harmon’s journey. He credited his mother, calling her his “rock,” for instilling in him the perseverance that carried him through hardships on and off the field.

“After all those brain surgeries, man, she did not give up,” Harmon shared Thursday. “She still took me to practice, still went to work… Why can’t I keep going if she can keep going after brain surgery?”

During his years at Michigan State, Harmon chose to stay close to home to be near his mother. It wasn’t until she encouraged him that he decided to transfer across the country to the University of Oregon. “We had a discussion and she told me every decision I had made up until this point was for her, and it’s time to make a decision for myself,” Harmon said.

Despite the distance, Harmon’s love for his mother remained front and center. One of his most meaningful purchases during his college career was a wheelchair-accessible van for her, made possible by his NIL earnings.

“She’s the reason why I’m here,” Harmon told ESPN. “She’s the one that did everything for me to get to this point. I love you, mom. Everything I do is for you. I’m forever grateful.”

On the field, Harmon quickly became a standout. In his senior season at Oregon, he earned second-team All-American honors and led all FBS interior defensive linemen with 55 pressures. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Harmon, “He has Steeler DNA. For us, it starts inside and up front, and this is a guy that’s capable of dominating that space.”

While Harmon’s official introduction in Pittsburgh has been delayed as he grieves with his family, he carries with him the legacy of the woman who fought so hard for him—and taught him never to give up.