Former ESU player signs with arena team
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
After the final game of his senior season for Emporia State, Keith Maples knew he wasn’t ready to let the game go.
“It’s then I knew just how much I loved the game,” he said. “There was no way I was done playing.”
Fresh off earning his degree, Maples is gearing up to play professionally. He recently signed with a new arena football team, the Cedar Rapids Titans. The Titans are part of the Indoor Football League. The IFL was formed in 2008 and started with 19 teams in 2009. There were 25 teams last year.
Maples said he’s had a few potential opportunities to play professionally before, but they weren’t a good fit. His agent along with a high school teammate informed him the Titans were interested in his services.
“It’s usually nice to hear that teams are interested,” he said. “Cedar Rapids, Iowa isn’t too far from home. I’ve kept up my conditioning and decided to sign a contract with them.”
A Belton, Mo. native, Maples played defensive line his first three years at Emporia State before switching to offensive line for his senior season in 2010. He also was a member of the Hornet track team.
Maples thought about leaving school to play professionally after the 2010 football season, but he opted to finish school and compete in track last spring. He graduated earlier this month with a degree in physical education.
Maples had slimmed down to under 300 pounds before his junior season, though after switching to offense he was listed at 6-foot-1, 346 pounds at the start of his senior year. In three years on defense he recorded a sack and 20 tackles, 3.5 of which went for losses.
Maples said he will play defensive end for the Titans and also could see some time on the offensive line. He’s looking forward to the challenge of potentially playing both ways.
Cedar Rapids is coached by Kyle Moore-Brown, a former Kansas Jayhawk player in the early 1990s, who later spent two seasons with the Detroit Lions and 15 years in the Arena Football League. His brother is former Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Gilbert Brown.
Lately Maples had been working out and bartending at Natasha’s Billiards & Lounge. With training camp starting in February, Maples is concentrating on getting in game shape. The coaches are expecting him to arrive in peak condition.
“They said to take no days off working out, even for New Year’s,” Maples said. “So I don’t plan on taking any days off.”
The Titans have a bye-week the first week of the season so they will play the Omaha Beef in a scrimmage Feb. 28. They open the regular season March 3 against Lehigh Valley.
Maples said playing indoors will be an adjustment because the field is shorter and the game is quicker.
While he’s only been to Cedar Rapids one time, he’s excited to head up there for training camp.
“I’m glad to get this opportunity,” he said.