Derrick Harmon made it to his late mother’s hospital room to share her final moments shortly after he was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.
In a video posted to Harmon’s YouTube channel on Tuesday, April 29, it was revealed that the football star’s mother, Tiffany Saine, passed away “with her son by her side.”
Saine’s death came just hours after Harmon, 21, was selected with the 21st overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, April 24.
Harmon’s mother suffered a stroke during Harmon’s freshman year at Michigan State in 2021, which left her paralyzed on her left side. Harmon has said his mother’s stroke was something his family “was used to,” because his mother had “about eight brain surgeries” during his childhood.
A large group of Harmon’s family and friends gathered in his hometown of Detroit to watch the draft on TV.
Shortly after his name was called, the YouTube video showed Harmon excusing himself from the room and beginning to sob. “You’re supposed to be here,” he can be heard saying through his tears.
Harmon transferred to the University of Oregon in May 2024, making the difficult decision to move across the country from his mother, who was living in Michigan, for the sake of his football career.
“I sat down with my mom and we had a discussion,” Harmon said during an ESPN profile that aired during the NFL Draft on Thursday. “She told me every decision I made up to this point was for her and it’s time to make a decision for myself.”
During an interview before the Rose Bowl in January, Harmon said he used some of his own NIL money to purchase his mother a wheelchair-accessible van.
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Harmon’s mother’s presence was felt throughout draft night, even if she wasn’t able to be there physically.
“She’s at the hospital right now on life support, so that was a little bittersweet because she worked just as hard as me to get to this moment,” Harmon said on a media call after his selection. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’m very excited.”
He added, “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 explained how he used his mother’s perseverance to keep him going throughout his own journey.
“After all those brain surgeries, man, she did not give up,” he told reporters on Thursday. “She still needed 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, injured, whatever it is, why can’t I keep going?’ If she can get up and she can keep going after brain surgeries.”
Harmon added, “She was my inspiration.”
