Steelers Release Statement After Death of Derrick Harmon's Mom

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II has released a statement after Tiffany Saine, the mother of Derrick Harmon, the team's first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, passed away.

"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 Steelers fans around the world.

"Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with Derrick's entire family."

While speaking with reporters following his selection, Harmon stated that his mother was on life support and that he was heading straight to the hospital after finishing his call.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac stated that Harmon was able to speak with her and tell her he was drafted before she passed away.

Per a feature written by The Oregonian's Ryan Clarke last October, Saine suffered a stroke when Harmon was a freshman at Michigan State that left her paralyzed on her left side.

Harmon visited her frequently in his home town of Detroit that year, and she was able to fly out and see him play as a member of the Oregon Ducks this past season.

The defensive tackle stated that his mom's resiliency after undergoing brain surgeries gave him motivation and had a major impact on him.

"How resilient she was," Harmon said. "Just growing up from my standpoint and my situation, I grew up with her having probably seven to eight brain surgeries, and after all those brain surgeries, she did not give up. She still took me to practice, still went to work. 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 or I'm injured, whatever it is, why can't I keep going if she can get up and keep going after brain surgery.' So just her resilience and her hard work really."