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Steelers President Sent Heartfelt Message to Rookie Derrick Harmon After Personal Tragedy

Harmon's mother died shortly after he was drafted by the Steelers with the No. 21 pick on Thursday night.

Madison Williams

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon receives the call that he's been drafted.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon receives the call that he's been drafted. / SportsCenter/Screengrab
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Shortly after the Pittsburgh Steelers selected defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with the No. 21 pick in the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday night, his mother Tiffany Saine died after being on life support.

After being drafted, Harmon said that he was planning to visit his mother in the hospital and tell her the good news of him joining the Steelers.

Steelers president Art Rooney II extended his condolences from the entire organization in a statement on social media on Friday.

"On behalf of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization, I extend our deepest condolences to Derrick Harmon and his family during this difficult time," the statement read. "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."

Harmon expressed before the draft in a video made by ESPN how much his mother has played a role in his football career. Saine underwent various brain surgeries after suffering a stroke in 2022 that left her paralyzed on her left side. Harmon has always admired her resilience.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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