“It was a little bittersweet. My mom wasn’t with me. She’s at the hospital right now on life support. After I get off the phone, I’m going to head straight to the hospital and tell her her son got drafted,” said defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in the direct aftermath of being drafted 21st overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL Draft. All his blood, sweat, and sacrifice over the years on the line of scrimmage and off it, finally bearing fruit. Reaping the rewards of the proverbial seeds he sowed. Being drafted is an unparalleled euphoria that players dream of, let alone being a first-rounder. But Harmon’s big day took a very somber turn. Gut-wrenching doesn’t even begin to describe it.
You don’t become an elite athlete unless you’ve gone through adversity in life. It’s just the morbid, twisted reality. It builds character and is what keeps that flame burning through the darkest of times. But Derrick Harmon’s had to deal with more, way more, than his fair share of peril. His mom, Tiffany Saine, underwent as many as eight brain surgeries over the years. Simultaneously, Harmon continued rushing quarterbacks with a vim unlike almost any of his contemporaries. It’s perhaps what fueled him, spurred him on. But 2022 brought about a line in the sand that would test the then-Michigan State freshman’s mettle more than anything he could’ve ever come up against on the gridiron. The surgeries sadly caught up to Tiffany Saine, and she suffered a stroke, which left her paralyzed on the left side and unable to walk.
A year later, Derrick Harmon had a choice. Remain at Michigan State, or move across the country to the Pacific Coast and Oregon. MSU was about a 45-minute drive from home, which meant he could tend to his mother more and spend more time together. Conversely, Oregon was the best part of 2000 miles away. “I sat down with my mom and we had a discussion,” he said. “She told me that every decision I made up to this point was for her, and it was time to make a decision for myself,” said Harmon in an interview. This is a crossroads no person is built to traverse, certainly not a teenager. But with his mother’s blessing, Harmon chose to further his career and better his avenues at blue-chip program Oregon.
Two years on, his tryst with destiny is complete, and Derrick Harmon is an NFL pro. But he wasn’t even afforded a day of solace. Hours after her son got drafted, Tiffany Saine passed away in a Detroit hospital. Harmon did make it to her in time to inform her about him getting drafted. What should’ve been the best day of Harmon and his family’s lives transpired in the absolute worst way imaginable. Ever so rarely, you come across news that demands you to pause and take a moment. Life can be cruel, but things like this sure put it into perspective.
Heartbreaking news: #Steelers 1st rounder pick Derrick Harmon’s mother has passed away.
After he was drafted, Derrick immediately went to the hospital to tell her he was a Steeler and right after she passed.
Thoughts and prayers go out to the family pic.twitter.com/cxoqGEdZLU
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 25, 2025
It sounds cliche to say God gives its toughest battles to its strongest soldiers. But Derrick Harmon is a testament to this. Throughout this ordeal, he has managed to stay focused on honing his craft and becoming an NFL-caliber athlete. While also caring for his ailing mother. One of Harmon’s big purchases with the money he garnered through NIL was a wheelchair-accessible van for her. This is a mere microcosm of how much love he had for her. He’ll be playing in front of one of the most intense and passionate fan bases in the league come fall. However, his biggest first shall forever remain his first one. During his media presser following the draft, Harmon had some very profound words for his mom and her role in his comeuppance.
Derrick Harmon pays homage to Tiffany Saine after being drafted
Derrick Harmon was asked about how his mom, Tiffany Saine, inspired him to reach this juncture- a first-round draft pick. For context, the comments were made in the window between him getting picked and her passing.
“Man, how resilient she was [is what inspired me.] Just growing up, from my standpoint, my situation, I grew up with her having probably seven, eight brain surgeries. And after all those brain surgeries, she did not give up,” he said. Harmon also mentioned how she drove him to practice despite her deteriorating health. She even balanced a full-time job as a hotel manager. It’s something that ignited a fire within Harmon from an early stage.
“I always, always got in the back of my head, from the beginning of my college career, ‘Why can’t I keep going?’ If I’m tired, I’m injured, whatever it is. Why can’t I keep going if she can get up and she can keep going after brain surgery? So, just her resilience and hard work,” proceeded Derrick Harmon. Talk about powerful. Hopefully, Harmon can carry this mindset into this next phase of his life. Which has become more difficult to navigate than it already was. It really is a travesty how brutal God’s timing can be. May Tiffany Saine’s soul rest in peace.
The post How Did Derrick Harmon’s Mother Tiffany Saine Die? Here’s What We Know About Former Oregon DT’s Family Tragedy appeared first on EssentiallySports.