Tiffany Saine, the mother of former Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, died shortly after her son was selected 21st overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Harmon told reporters on a media call after his selection that his mother was on life support as a result of ongoing health issues.
‘After I get off the phone with you guys, I’m going to head straight to the hospital and tell her that her son got drafted,’ Harmon said.
Saine died shortly after the news was delivered, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Harmon outlined to ESPN ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft that Saine frequently underwent brain surgeries during his youth. She had eight in total and suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side while Harmon was playing at Michigan State.
That made Harmon’s decision to transfer to Oregon from Michigan State – which was 45 minutes away from his hometown, Detroit – difficult.
‘It was probably the hardest decision I had to make,’ Harmon said. ‘I sat down with my mom, and we had a discussion. She told me every decision I made up to this point had been for her, and it’s time I made a decision for myself.’
Harmon still supported his mother from afar, using his NIL money to purchase a wheelchair and accessible van for her, as he told reporters at the 2025 Rose Bowl.
He also canceled some of his pre-draft visits to remain at his mother’s side, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.
And while Harmon was happy to be chosen by the Steelers, he acknowledged the moment was ‘bittersweet’ since his mother couldn’t be there to celebrate with him.
‘She’s the reason why I’m here,’ he told ESPN. ‘She’s the one who did everything for me to get to this point.’