Is this an honest assessment? Could a non-admin
(or even a single
admin) go against him and not get banned? Honestly? That is not a
measure of respect or even deference except perhaps by a majority of admins.
Probably depends on what you mean by "go against him". Disagreeing
with Jimbo is not a bannable offence (I expect Jimbo would unblock
anyone blocked for such a reason). Going against policy, as defined by
consensus, is a bannable offence (or at least can be), and since
Jimbo's opinion holds a lot of sway with most Wikipedians, Jimbo's
suggestions for policy generally have consensus.
In other words, if you go against Jimbo, you are generally going
against the community, and that is what gets you banned.