NFL draft pick Derrick Harmon's mom dies after his first round pick
Derrick Harmon He suffered a lot of personal losses as he celebrated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round.
Harmon's mother, Tiffany Saine“Short after he went to the hospital and told her that he was selected, died” Pittsburgh PostGerry Dulac. Harmon was drafted with 21 picks by the Steelers on Thursday, April 24.
Saine suffered a stroke in 2021 at Michigan State freshman at Michigan State, which paralyzed her left side. Harmon said his mother's stroke was “habited” by his family because his mother had “about eight brain surgeries” when she grew up.
Harmon moved to Oregon in May 2024 and made the difficult decision to spread across the country from his mother who lives in Detroit.
“My mom and I sat down and we had a discussion,” Harmon said in his ESPN profile aired during Thursday’s NFL draft. “She told me that every decision I made so far was for her and it was time to make a decision for myself.”
Throughout the first night of the draft, Harmon's mother was the primary idea of defensive tackle.
“She is now supporting her life in the hospital, so it's a little bittersweet because she works as hard as I do,” Harmon said in a media call after the choice. “It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm so excited.”
He added: “After I get off the phone with you, I'm going to go directly to the hospital and tell her that her son has been drafted.”
Harmon explains how he learned resilience from his mother, and he flew back to Michigan to visit throughout the football season.
“After all these brain surgeries, she didn't give up,” he told reporters on Thursday. “She still needs practice, still going to work. From the beginning of my college career, it's always in my mind: 'Why can't I keep moving forward? If I'm tired, injured, whatever it is, why can't I keep moving forward?' If she can get up and can continue with brain surgeries.”
He added: “She was my inspiration.”
Harmon shared photos of himself and his mother’s childhood through his Instagram story Thursday night.
“All this is for you!!!” he wrote. “I do what you told me, I could do it a long time ago. I love you until the wheels fall off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😭. ”
