For a political hopeful in Alabama, it could be the ultimate endorsement -- a show of support from University of Alabama football coach

.

Bessemer Councilwoman Dorothy Davidson, who is running for mayor of the city, claims she secured Saban's endorsement of her campaign three weeks ago. Davidson printed it on a color campaign flier that shows her and the coach smiling side by side on a golf course.

But

officials on Tuesday said there is no such endorsement. And the photo of Davidson and Saban together is not real, but digitally altered from another photo.

"Coach Saban has not been contacted for a political endorsement of any kind," Associate Athletics Director Jeff Purinton wrote in an e-mail response to questions from

.

Davidson, when contacted about the campaign ad and photo on Tuesday afternoon, at first said the image of her and Saban together was real and taken about three weeks ago. However, when presented later with a 2007 photo of Saban and his wife that appears to be the base photo onto which Davidson's image was added, the candidate acknowledged that her image was digitally added to the 2007 photo.

"They said we could do it this way," Davidson said.

Davidson's part of the picture is what was taken three weeks ago, she said Tuesday night.

While the photo is fake, the support of Saban is real, Davidson and her campaign manager, Kevin Morris, maintain.

"My dad, Larry Morris, and coach Saban are friends," Morris said Tuesday. "We were on the golf course one day, and I asked him myself if this would be OK."

Morris said Saban agreed. Morris said he would not have created the campaign flier, which has the upcoming football schedules for the

,

and the

on the back side, if Saban's endorsement was not legitimate.

Efforts to reach Saban for comment were unsuccessful, but university officials contend no endorsement was given.

Davidson said she does not know how many of the fliers were printed, but her campaign workers have been handing them out.

The election is Tuesday.

Update:

News staff writer Don Kausler contributed to this article.

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