Mother of Steelers' first-round pick dies shortly after he visits her in hospital to reveal selection: report

Harmon was unable to watch the draft with his mother because she was on life support in a hospital.

Harmon said getting drafted was "bittersweet" because he couldn't spend it with his mom. 

Harmon, a defensive tackle, was taken by the Steelers.

Harmon said his mother had a stroke when he was a freshman at Michigan State, which left her paralyzed on her left side. She had "about eight brain surgeries," Harmon said.

"She still took me to practice, still went to work. Always the back in my head from the beginning of my college career was, 'Why can't I keep going? If I'm tired, I'm injured, whatever it is, why can't I keep going, if she can get up and she can keep going after brain surgeries.'

"So just her resilience and her hard work, really. She was my inspiration."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.