Former Oregon DT Derrick Harmon is excited to start his career under Cameron Heyward’s wing. “That was my first thought process when I got the call, ‘I’m gonna be able to pick Cam’s brain, be under his wing,'” shared Derrick, as he was picked by the Steelers at 21st overall and as their first selection.

Sharing his excitement to play with Heyward, Harmon added, “That could be my vet now, and I can really learn from him because he’s been doing this forever, since I was a baby. So, it wouldn’t be any other way I would want it.” An emotional night for the Oregon alum. But his joy was tinged with heartache. Derrick’s mother, Tiffany Sane, wasn’t able to be there for one of the biggest moments of his life. As soon as his name was announced, Harmon quickly left the venue to be with her, as she continues to battle serious health issues.

What happened to Derrick Harmon’s mom?

In 2021, Tiffany suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side. At that time, Derrick was in his freshman year at Michigan State. “My mom means everything to me. Her name is Tiffany Sane. That’s my rock. That’s my why. My freshman year at Michigan State, she ended up having a stroke, which left her paralyzed on her left side,” he shared in an interview with ESPN.

Ever since, Harmon has been taking care of his mother, making sure he does everything he can for her. Sadly, this was also the reason Tiffany couldn’t be in Green Bay to be with her son. So, as the big news made headlines when the Steelers picked the DT as their first overall, the heartbreaking story about his mother also surfaced.

Mark Kaboly, an insider covering the Steelers, reported that Harmon said he was heading straight to the hospital to share the good news with his mom. Talking about his mother on Thursday night, Derrick shared, “It was a little bittersweet, man. My mom wasn’t with me. She’s at the hospital right now on life support. So, that was a little bittersweet, man, because she worked as hard as me to get to this moment.” Definitely, he made her proud.

A bittersweet beginning for Pittsburgh’s rookie

Derrick, who comes from Detroit, initially chose Michigan State so he could be close to his mom. “I’m originally from Detroit, Michigan, so I was probably 45 minutes away from home once I went to Michigan State.” But last year, he faced the tough decision to transfer to Oregon. Harmon didn’t want to leave his mother, but Tiffany urged him to go for it. “It was probably the hardest decision I had to make. I sat down with my mom, and we had a discussion, and she told me every decision I made up to this point was for her, and it’s time to make a decision for myself,” shared the 21-year-old.

At Michigan State, Harmon played in 12 games during the 2022 season, starting in five of them. The DT recorded 30 tackles and 2 sacks that year. In 2023, he improved his stats, finishing with 40 total tackles, including 3.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, one pass breakup, and one forced fumble.

And now, Derrick Harmon is all set to grace the gridiron with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After the team selected him, his Oregon coach Dan Lanning shared a heartfelt message on X, writing, “So proud of you DJ, you deserve everything coming your way. Steelers got a great one!“

The 21-year-old is beginning his NFL journey on a bittersweet note, but with resilience like his, there’s no doubt he’ll push through it all.