The Steelers' Derrick Harmon in action last season.
The Steelers' Derrick Harmon in action last season.
Harmon’s mother died moments after the Steelers selected him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft
The second-hardest thing Derrick Harmon ever had to do was say goodbye to his mother in the spring of 2024.
Harmon spent his entire life in the state of Michigan, growing up in Detroit before playing college football at Michigan State. Staying close to home was a choice.
His mother, Tiffany Saine, was in and out of hospitals for much of Harmon’s childhood. She endured multiple brain surgeries. When Harmon was a sophomore at Michigan State, she suffered a stroke.
It was about that time that the Spartans struggled through coaching changes and a 2-8 season. Harmon, who had risen from three-star recruit to NFL draft prospect, had an opportunity to spread his wings.
[Steelers wide receiver Germie Bernard takes a selfie before an NFL football game against the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh.
Steelers wide receiver Germie Bernard takes a selfie before an NFL football game against the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh.](https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2026/09/18/nfl-steelers-receiver-germie-bernard/stories/202609180010)
The University of Oregon was a national championship contender and provided Harmon with an opportunity to improve his draft stock. Before Harmon committed to the Ducks, he wanted to make sure leaving home was OK with his mother.
“Leaving her was probably one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make in my whole life,” Harmon said. “Michigan State was maybe an hour from the crib in Detroit. Going 2,000 miles away, that was a leap of faith.
“We talked about it. She told me — and I remember this verbatim — she told me it’s time for me to go do something for me. She said if that’s what you want to do, go do it. Don’t worry about me.”
Oregon had a dream season in 2024. The Ducks went 13-1 and advanced to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Harmon was the anchor of the Ducks defense and cemented his status as a top prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Meanwhile, back in Michigan, Saine’s health was deteriorating. As a result of the stroke, Saine was on bed rest, which brought on a series of other health issues. Then, just days before the draft, her heart finally gave out.
In addition to the brain surgeries and the stroke, Saine was dealing with an enlarged heart. Doctors performed emergency surgery to try to save her life, but it was too late. Doctors had to connect Saine to a ventilator to keep her alive.
She lived long enough to hear the news that her son was selected with the No. 21 pick by the Steelers. A short time later, with Harmon by her side, Tiffany Saine passed away.
[Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf warms up before an NFL football game against the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh.
Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf warms up before an NFL football game against the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh.](https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2026/09/18/dk-metcalf-contract-steelers/stories/202609180014)
What was supposed to be the best day of Harmon’s life became the worst.
Learning to cope
There was little time to grieve.
After the funeral, Harmon picked up the pieces of his life and moved to Pittsburgh to begin his professional football career.
A few locker stalls down inside UPMC Rooney Sports Complex sits veteran defensive end Cam Heyward, who had a good idea of the pain Harmon was experiencing.
It’s been 20 years since Heyward lost his father to brain cancer. Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, the former Pitt star who played 11 years in the NFL, died on May 27, 2006, when Cam was a junior at Peachtree High School in Georgia.
Cam already knew a little about Harmon because his brother, Connor, played alongside him at Michigan State.
“Connor talked about how great of a kid he was,” Heyward said. “I knew he had a lot on his plate. You just want to make sure you’re available. I understood he was going through a lot. I just wanted to support him in any way I could and be a new big brother for him.”
The similarities between Heyward and Harmon’s childhoods are striking. Each spent years watching their parents go through long brain illnesses and surgeries. Craig Heyward and Tiffany Saine each had strokes near the end of their lives.
Harmon has kept a lot of his emotions inside over the past year. The initial shock of losing his mother has subsided, but the emotions remain raw.
Some days are better than others, but Harmon is finding ways to cope. He doesn’t often express his feelings with teammates or coaches, but he has observed how Cam and Connor Heyward lived their lives since the passing of their father.
“I keep a lot to myself,” Harmon said. “That’s something I’m working on this year — to open up more. There were some times I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get through the whole situation and bounce back like I did.
“Seeing other people’s stories and knowing Connor and Cam pushed through that, I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel, which was good for me. I never really talk about it, but seeing it and observing them, you can still do things at a high level even if you went through some traumatic things.”
Cam Heyward is 37, two years shy of the age his father was when he died. He’s in Year 16 in the NFL and is one of the best defensive linemen of his generation. He’s closing in on 100 career sacks and has been named first- or second-team All-Pro in six of the past nine seasons.
Heyward has lived more of his life without his father than with him, but time never heals the loss of a parent.
“That’s the thing that I try to relate to everybody,” Heyward said. “You don’t ever lose that pain. It doesn’t just magically go away.
“I think you learn to honor them and say I’m living their legacy and it’s always going to be a part of me. You’re thankful, but you’re also remorseful that they don’t have those moments with you. But glorifying them in those types of moments is huge.”
Heyward continues to honor his father off the field through his foundation, the Heyward House. One of his initiatives is Craig’s Closet, which was inspired by his father having only one suit when he was growing up. Heyward purchases suits for young men every year to wear to college and job interviews.
Harmon said he is going to start his non-profit next year. One of his first initiatives is setting up a scholarship in his mother’s name at Loyola High School, where Harmon attended in Detroit.
“There are a lot of things I want to do,” Harmon said.
Living through the pain
Harmon’s first season in the NFL was difficult on and off the field.
In the final preseason game against Carolina, he was carted off with a knee injury. He ended up missing the first two games of the season. Then in late November, he suffered another knee injury that forced him to miss three more games.
At 6 feet 4 and 313 pounds, the Steelers are hoping Harmon can follow in the footsteps of Heyward and become their next dominant defensive end. He finished his rookie season with 27 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery in 12 games.
New Steelers defensive line coach Domata Peko has high hopes for Harmon.
“He’s a guy that has a very high ceiling,” Peko said. “I’m really happy with what he’s done so far. We’ve been working on just being more consistent, but he shows it on tape. He’s one of our hardest workers out there.
“What I love about him he can play heavy on the run game. He’s solid against the run and then he’s elusive. He can get after the passer with speed to power, and he can get to the edges on guys. He’s already been showing us in practice he can ... be an elite finisher.”
“Harm is a special guy,” Peko added. “I’m excited to continue to unlock some of his elite traits.”
Playing football is Harmon’s escape from reality. He might be hesitant to share his emotions about his personal life, but he has poured himself into football.
Said Heyward: “I just always try to make sure he’s part of the group. The thing that I love about him the most is he wants to learn and he is a sponge for it. He reminds me a lot of myself with that.”
NFL season No. 2 began last week for Harmon and the Steelers. He’s learned that life goes on.
Almost 17 months have passed, and Harmon still struggles day to day knowing his mother cannot be with him on his NFL journey.
“To this day, it’s still a work in progress,” Harmon said. “These guys help me every day, get my mind off it. But there are times when you go home and put your head on that pillow and those are the times when you have that mental battle.
“It’s every day. There’s not a day that goes by when I wake up and don’t think about her, and there’s not a night when I go to sleep that I don’t think about her.”
First Published: September 19, 2026, 1:00 a.m.