Derrick Harmon’s mother passes away after Oregon DT drafted by Pittsburgh Steelers (2025)

Derrick Harmon’s mother, Tiffany Saine, died shortly after the former Oregon defensive tackle was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Harmon said Saine, who had a stroke in 2022 that left her paralyzed on her left side, was on life support Thursday night. She died shortly after Harmon went to the hospital in Detroit to tell her he was drafted, Saine’s sister confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

“It was a little bittersweet,” Harmon told reporters after he was drafted in the first round with the No. 21 overall pick. “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.”

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Harmon was to be formally introduced in Pittsburgh on Friday and was at the team facility, but the press conference was canceled in light of Saine’s passing.

“On behalf of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization, I extend our deepest condolences to Derrick Harmon and his family during this difficult time,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “Through we are excite to select Derrick in the first round of the NFL Draft, our hears 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 int he love and support from the organization and Steele fans around the world. Our thought and prayer will continue top be with Derrick’s entire family.”

Saine underwent several brain surgeries prior to the stroke and worked full-time as a hotel manager while raising Harmon in Detroit.

Prior to the Rose Bowl, Harmon said the best purchase he made from money he received for his name, image and likeness (NIL) was a wheelchair-accessible van for his mother.

“I grew up with her having probably seven, eight brain surgeries,” Harmon said Thursday night. “And after all those brain surgeries, she did not give up. She still took me to practice, still went to work. And I always, always got in the back of my head, from the beginning of my college career, was, why can I keep going if I’m tired, I’m injured, whatever it is, why can I keep going. If she can get up and she can keep going after brain surgery. So, just her resilience, and hard work.”

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-- James Crepea covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.