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Pittsburgh Steelers send heartfelt message to draft pick Derrick Harmon after mother’s death

Brian Jones Profile Picby:Brian Jones•about 13 hours•

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Derrick Harmon Nikko Reed
Oregon Ducks DL Derrick Harmon and CB Nikko Reed against the Idaho Vandals. (Photo by: Eric Becker/ScoopDuckOn3.)

The Pittsburgh Steelers sent an emotional message to first-round draft pick Derrick Harmon after the death of his mother, Tiffany Saine. The team selected the defensive lineman at No. 21 overall on Thursday night, and Steelers President Art Rooney II sent the message to Harmon and his family.

“On behalf of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization, I extend our deepest condolences to Derrick Harmon and his family during this difficult time,” Rooney said. 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. In times like this, we hope Derrick finds comfort in the love and support from the organization and the fans around the world. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with Derrick’s entire family.”

Saine, who suffered a stroke in 2022, was on life support in the hospital while Harmon was waiting to see which team would draft him. Harmon told reporters he was leaving his draft party to see his mother.

Derrick Harmon learned resilience from his mother

“It was a little bittersweet, man,” Harmon said Thursday of the moment he got the Steelers’ call, per ESPN. “My mom wasn’t with me, she’s at the hospital right now on life support, so that was a little bittersweet, because she worked as hard just as me to get to this moment.”

Harmon also talked about how he learned resilience from his mom as he watched her have multiple brain surgeries. “After all those brain surgeries, man, she did not give up,” Harmon said. “She still took me to practice, still went to work, and I always, always, in the back of my head from the beginning of my college career was, 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 keep going after brain surgery.”

Harmon joins the Steelers after spending his first three college football seasons at Michigan State and his final season at Oregon. While playing for the Ducks in 2024, Harmon recorded 45 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks with four passes defended and two forced fumbles.