Maple played college football and college baseball for the Oregon State Aggies (now the Oregon State Beavers). As a quarterback, he led the team to an overall 16–7–1 record for the seasons of 1926 through 1928, and was named a 1928 All-American. Maple is the university's only alumnus to play in both the NFL and MLB. He was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, and the athletics hall of fame at Oregon State University in 1990.
In 1930, Maple played in eight games for the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL. The NFL's website lists him as a wingback.
Maple played in minor league baseball from 1930 through 1935, appearing in over 400 minor league games. Listed at 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) and 175 pounds (79 kg), he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Maple appeared 44 major league games, all with the 1932 Washington Senators. He posted a .244 batting average (10-for-41) with seven RBIs. His best offensive game came on August 31, when he went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored against pitcher Sam Gray, as the Senators defeated the St. Louis Browns, 7–6. Maple appeared in 41 games defensively, all as a catcher, handling 39 total chances without an error for a 1.000 fielding percentage.

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