The owner of two Super Bowl rings, Jim Smith is no quitter.

So as he anxiously waits to see what changes are in store for the embattled automotive industry, he's preparing for what's coming next at his Saturn dealerships in Plano, Lewisville and Irving.

He has cut about 10 people from his staff, zeroed in on his sales and service departments and examined expenses.

"If there is a silver lining, one of the things you do is become more efficient. Obviously, it's not by choice," said Smith, who played in the National Football League for seven years and was a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers during their 1978 and 1979 championship seasons. "You learn about things you can do without."

Things are bleak for the automotive industry as the recession deepens. U.S. auto sales plunged last month to 445,271, down about 37 percent from the previous year. The year finished dismally, with credit tight and unemployment going up.

"People come here upside-down by thousands and thousands of dollars," said Ed Carvalho, who owns Car Mania in Irving. "They price 'cash cars' [lower-price cars paid in full at purchase] and tell us the stories of their payments and how they're taking their cars back to the banks."

But things aren't as bad here as they are in other parts of the country, says Drew Campbell, president of the New Car Dealers Association of Metropolitan Dallas.

"The dealers here have enjoyed a better marketplace. The underlying economy here is still better. We're still adding jobs; people are still moving here," Campbell said.

Regardless, a couple of dealerships in North Texas closed last year, a few merged and several are cutting jobs. The Texas Workforce Commission said the number of people working as motor vehicle and parts dealer employees in the state dropped by 1,600, to 163,200, between September and November, the most recent figures available.

"I know six guys let go from a dealership just yesterday. Everybody is taking a big hit right now," said Gary Bell, a salesman at DriveTime in Irving. "We're all hurting – the mechanics, the body shops – all of us in the car business are hurting."

And many of the salespeople who remain are watching their commissions shrivel.

"I was used to taking home $2,500 to $3,000 average a month in commissions after tax. Now I'm taking $1,500 to $1,800," Bell said.

Late last year, major auto manufacturers went to Congress asking for help. The federal government agreed to a rescue plan that will loan a total of $17.4 billion to Chrysler and General Motors, Saturn's parent company.

In turn, the automakers have to present a plan for long-term viability to Congress by the end of March.

That plan puts a lot of folks on edge. The automakers are promising to revamp their business, which is likely to be painful. GM put its Hummer brand on sale, put Saab under review and said it would take a "look" at Saturn.

What that means for the Saturn brand is anyone's guess, and the haziness raises the anxiety level.

"I reread the transcript several times. That could mean all kinds of things," said Smith, who prefers to be optimistic. He sent an e-mail to his customers asking them to contact GM and show support for Saturn.

It read: "As you may be aware, GM has submitted a plan to Congress. Within that plan certain brands may be at risk. You can help us make a difference."

Ava Skipworth, operating partner of the Saturn dealership in Mesquite, said she thinks GM's comment was odd, but she's not going to lose sleep over it.

"It's very vague to us, too, but it doesn't bother us. GM has always supported Saturn pretty extensively in the past," she said. "Saturn actually creates a community out of its customers. It's kind of quirky."

Victoria Cullen of Waxahachie is one of those loyal customers. When she brought her Saturn in to Smith's Lewisville dealership for its 5,000-mile checkup, she also brought hugs for Smith and his wife, Jana.

"I'll go with them anywhere," she said. "But I'm not worried that GM is going to do anything. They have to keep Saturn. It's a great car."

About 100 sales and service customers come to Smith's dealerships each day. Sometimes they ask about the federal loans and the automakers' overhaul.

"Certainly we have customers that have concerns about General Motors," Smith said. "We all have concerns, but we have to be optimistic."

GM spokeswoman Susan Garontakos said no decisions have been made and nothing will be announced until Feb. 17.

"Saturn was mentioned as a brand that we're looking at; it doesn't mean it's going away," she said. "This is the thing – we don't know yet."

The company continues to offer incentives and marketing tools.

Smith says he thinks customers will rally for the brand. He says he's used to figuring out a way to get what he wants. In the past, football helped him with that.

A Chicago native, Smith was a basketball player until he tried out for the football team as a high school freshman after making a bet with one of his buddies. Turns out, he was good – so good that playing football opened doors for college.

"It would be a far stretch to say we were middle-class. There's no way we could have afforded University of Michigan," he said.

He played for the Steelers from 1977 to 1982, and spent his final year with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1985.

Now he resists being defined by his football background.

"I really, really enjoyed playing football, but it wasn't who I wanted to be for all my life," he said.

But it clearly affects who he is. He starts each day at 4:30 a.m., focused on his goals. He calls his staff his "team" and concentrates heavily on training.

Football also gave him the opportunity to start a second career when he was in his 30s. After retiring from the gridiron, he moved to Florida and lived a life of leisure for a while. He found out that it didn't suit him.

"I played golf and tennis every day," he said. "It's one of those things that when you sneak away to play, you enjoy it a lot more. It got old after two or three months."

He met a guy on the tennis court who encouraged him to consider the automobile industry. Smith went to work for him and learned the business from the ground up: customer service, sales, products, finance and follow-up.

One day, he heard about Saturn.

"Just the enthusiasm sold me on a product that was fresh and new," he said. He initially bought two franchises in Miami.

Then, when franchises came available in Dallas, he and a co-owner went into business in Texas. Today, his dealerships are a family affair. His wife works with him, and his four younger sons, ages 3 to 13, sometimes come to the dealership on weekends, where they get stuck mopping floors when they get in trouble.

This week, Smith will be keeping his eye on what is going on at the Detroit auto show for clues about the future of the industry.

"I'm sure I'll keep up with it," he said. "There's all kinds of news that comes out of that auto show."

Texas employment: According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the following number of people worked as motor vehicle and parts dealer employees in the state:

September: 164,800

October: 163,600

November: 163,200

National dealers: There are more than 20,000 new-car dealers in the nation, and about 900 closed in 2008, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Texas dealers: In Texas, there are 1,317 new-car dealerships that are members of NADA, down by 29 from last year.

Dallas dealers: There are 260 new-car dealers in the greater Dallas area. Two closed in 2008 – Alan Young Buick-Pontiac-GMC in North Richland Hills and Classic Kia in Arlington.

SOURCES: NADA, Texas Workforce Commission, New Car Dealers Association of Metropolitan Dallas