Clint Sellers used the first play of the 2006 season to make an impact and, for better or for worse, he did.

On the opening kickoff of the Panthers 42-17 season opening loss Saturday at Illinois, Sellers planted Illini kick returner E.B. Halsey with a bone-crushing hit.

However, the Panther linebacker didn’t return the rest of the game and suffered what could be a long-term injury.

“It had a huge effect on the entire game because he lit up the returner with a huge hit but from that play on our whole game plan went out the window,” said Eastern defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni. “It lasted for roughly 60 minutes.”

Eastern announced Monday that Sellers, the defending Ohio Valley Conference defensive player of the year, will be out indefinitely due to a shoulder injury and will miss the home opener Saturday against Indiana State.

“We are hopeful that he can be back this season but we have begun to prepare without him,” Bellantoni said.

Phone calls left for Sellers were not immediately returned.

Sellers suffered an injury to the brachial plexus bundle in right shoulder but head athletic trainer Mark Bonstretter said he did not have any further information.

The 2006 Buck Buchanan Award nominee was taken to a Champaign area hospital following the game and was released Monday following additional tests.

“He was wearing a sling on his right shoulder Sunday so I’m assuming that he’ll be kept in that for a while,” Bellantoni said.

The most common injury in cases like this is called Brachial Plexus Dysfunction, sometimes referred to a stinger. This occurs when a nerve bundle from the spinal cord is damaged and splits into the individual arm nerves.

“What I’m being told is that the complete recovery time could be a couple weeks, months or never,” Bellantoni said. “It’s going to take some time before we get that type of information.”

Bellantoni and the defensive staff have started the process of game planning for the Sycamores’ offense without Sellers but have not begun to look into the course of action for a medical red-shirt.

“We haven’t even thought about that yet but if he’s not back late in the year it’s something we would look into,” Bellantoni said.

Even after Sellers’ injury, the Panthers will not readjust their philosophy on having starters and major impact players on special teams.

“Not at all. (Eastern special teams coach) Justin Lustig kept saying that he was sorry for it and that’s crazy,” Bellantoni said. “It’s a violent game played by violent men and the fact is we can’t take those types of guys off these squads.”